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Elon Musk Joins Trump at Rally in Butler, Site of Murder Attempt

Elon Musk joined Donald Trump onstage at a rally as the Republican candidate made his return to Butler, Pennsylvania — the city where a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump, which led Musk to quickly endorse the former president.

Trump introduced Musk as “one of the people who is going to help us build this incredible future,” before the Tesla CEO appeared onstage wearing a black “Make America Great Again” cap. Musk addressed the crowd, saying, “I’m not just MAGA, I’m dark MAGA.”

Musk’s appearance provided a mid-speech interlude, with Trump taking a moment to introduce him. Trump praised Musk as “a truly incredible guy,” adding, “I don’t say that often. He’s a great gentleman.”

“He saved free speech. He created so many different great things,” Trump claimed. He pointed to Musk’s companies, Tesla and SpaceX, as well as Musk’s approach to free speech since acquiring X and changing the site’s content moderation policies.

“Well, first of all, I want to say what an honor it is to be here,” Musk began as he addressed the rally.

“The true test of someone’s character is how they behave under fire. We had one president who couldn’t climb stairs, and another who was fist-pumping after getting shot.” He then led the crowd in a chant of “Fight! Fight! Fight!”

“Now, America is the home of the brave, and there’s no truer test than courage under fire … who do you want representing America?” Musk asked as the crowd cheered for Trump.

“Yeah, absolutely. And I think this election is the most important election of our lifetime. This is no ordinary election.”

Musk warned that Democrats aim to “take away your freedom of speech,” asserting that they also want to take away the right to bear arms and the right to vote.

It’s important to note that while the Harris-Walz campaign advocates for gun control, there is no indication that the Democratic Party seeks to eliminate guns, free speech, or voting rights. Additionally, freedom of speech does not protect against consequences stemming from speech.

“We’ve got 14 states now that don’t require voter ID,” Musk claimed. He expressed disbelief, saying, “California, where I used to live, has just passed a law banning voter ID for voting. How can you have a proper election without ID?”

Musk emphasized the importance of free speech, stating, “Free speech is the bedrock of democracy. If people don’t know the truth, how can they make an informed vote?”

He concluded, “You must have free speech for democracy. That’s why it’s the First Amendment, and the Second Amendment ensures we have the First.”

Federal law requires newly registered voters to provide a driver’s license number or Social Security number when they register.

There are 15 states that do not require voters to show ID when they vote, but those voters had to provide ID when they initially registered.

On September 30, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law banning local governments from requiring ID to vote.

The law was a response to a March 2024 ballot initiative in Huntington Beach, where 53.4% of voters approved a measure to require valid ID to vote.

That initiative violated state law, prompting California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber to sue to block the enforcement of the local policy.

“The right to freely cast your vote is the foundation of our democracy, and Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy undermines this principle,” Bonta said in a statement.

He added, “State election law already has strong voter ID protections to prevent fraud while ensuring eligible voters can cast their ballot without hardship.”

Bonta argued that imposing additional voter ID requirements disproportionately affects low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities.