Elon Musk's Town Hall in Pennsylvania: Support for Trump and controversial remarks

Elon Musk. (Pic/AFP)

In a recent town hall event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, tech mogul Elon Musk publicly endorsed Republican Donald Trump as part of his efforts to support Trump's campaign ahead of the November 5 presidential election against Democrat Kamala Harris, reported AP.

Musk addressed a question regarding concerns that Trump's presidency could threaten democracy, particularly in light of the January 6 Capitol attack. He said the January 6 attack by Trump's supporters has been called "some sort of violent insurrection, which is simply not the case", a response that drew applause from the crowd, stated AP.

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In the attack on the Capitol, over 100 law enforcement officers sustained injuries, with some being assaulted using their own weapons. This violence erupted when a group of Trump supporters, convinced by false claims that the 2020 election had been stolen, attempted to disrupt the certification of electoral votes.

Musk said that people "who say Trump is a threat to democracy are themselves a threat to democracy." His comment drew a positive response from the crowd as several hundred people cheered.

Notably, many more watched the event on X, the social media platform Musk purchased two years ago as stated by AP.

Elon Musk, currently the world's richest individual, has pledged over USD 70 million to support Donald Trump's campaign for the upcoming election. At events organised by his super PAC, Musk has urged supporters to take advantage of early voting. However, he also shared some of Trump's scepticism regarding this voting method, expressing concerns about mail-in ballots.

Musk described them as an unusual practice that gained traction during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggested they could lead to potential fraud.

Despite these concerns, it's important to note that there are numerous safeguards in place to protect mail-in voting. Each state implements various ballot verification protocols, which include mandatory signature matching to ensure the integrity of the voting process.

Elon Musk, who Donald Trump has promised a position in his administration if he wins next month, engaged with town hall attendees for nearly two hours. The town hall featured mixed inquiry from attendees. While Musk received praise and was asked for advice on various subjects, the question about January 6 stood out as particularly pointed.

Throughout the session, Musk touched on various topics, including his views on artificial intelligence regulation and societal issues such as birth rates. He also shared personal beliefs, affirming his view that Jesus was a historical figure and recommending the study of physics as valuable advice.

Musk also announced a promotion where he would give away USD 1 million daily to voters in swing states who support his super PAC's petition backing the U.S. Constitution. This initiative was met with enthusiasm from attendees, including a UPS driver from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania who dismissed concerns about potential violations of federal election laws.

(With inputs from AP)