Elon Musk endorses Trump, praises former President's "toughness"

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, has publicly endorsed Donald Trump in the US presidential race, marking his first endorsement of the Republican former president. Musk described Trump as "tough" in his endorsement.

Musk, the world's richest person, posted a video of Trump with blood on his face, pumping his fist after multiple shots were fired at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Trump was unharmed in the incident. Musk's endorsement, shared on his social media platform X, signals a shift towards right-wing politics and provides Trump with a prominent backer in his bid to return to the White House in the November 5 election.

"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk posted. "The martyr lived," he later wrote, referencing a reported debate between conservative venture capitalist Peter Thiel and LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman. Musk also shared a photograph of Trump at the event, adding, "Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt."

Musk and representatives from X did not immediately respond to requests for comment. According to Bloomberg, Musk has also donated to a political group working to elect Trump. Musk's significant influence on X, where he has 189.5 million followers, could benefit Trump's campaign.

Musk has previously voted for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden. However, in recent years, he has adopted more right-wing views, criticizing diversity initiatives, Biden's immigration policies, and claiming that Democrats have been dismissive of Tesla and his rocket company SpaceX.

In March, Trump reportedly met with Musk and other wealthy donors. In response, Musk clarified on X, "Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President." He also denied reports of discussions about an advisory role in a potential Trump presidency.

In July 2022, Musk said Trump was "too old to be" president and needed to "sail into the sunset," expressing support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 election. Trump responded by calling Musk a "bulls**t artist." However, in late 2022, shortly after Musk acquired Twitter (now X), the platform reversed its ban on Trump.

Last month, Trump praised Musk, calling him "a fan of Elon" and commending his work with Tesla. Musk mentioned at a Tesla shareholder meeting that the two had "some conversations," with Trump being a "huge fan" of Tesla's electric pickup trucks. Trump has promised to abandon the Biden administration's mandate to support the electric vehicle industry if re-elected.

Musk's endorsement of Republicans and his controversial comments have alienated some Tesla customers, impacting the carmaker's reputation and sales.

(With Reuters inputs)