Billionaires Endorse Trump for President After Shooting
Billionaires Elon Musk and Bill Ackman endorsed Donald Trump for president Saturday after shots were fired at a Pennsylvania rally, in what is being investigated as an apparent assassination attempt.
“I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,” Musk shared on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery pic.twitter.com/ZdxkF63EqF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 13, 2024
In June, Musk said that he would not be giving money to either President Joe Biden or Trump in the lead-up to the presidential election but that he might endorse a candidate closer to November.
“Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President,” he wrote on X.
However, Bloomberg reported this week that Musk gave an undisclosed amount of money to the America PAC, which is supporting Trump. The outlet reported that America PAC will have to disclose any new donors on July 17.
Musk has been very critical of Biden on X over his pro-union stance and his immigration policies.
“Why does the radical far left Biden administration welcome violent illegals into America to prey upon your friends & family?” Musk said in a post on X earlier this year. “We are even warned by other countries that it is insane to make America a haven for their convicted criminals!”
Billionaire Bill Ackman soon followed, though he made no apparent reference to the shooting, claiming in a statement on X that he “came to this decision some time ago as many @X followers have already understood from my supportive posts of Trump and my criticisms of @POTUS Biden.”
I am going to formally endorse @realDonaldTrump. I came to this decision some time ago as many @X followers have already understood from my supportive posts of Trump and my criticisms of @POTUS Biden.
The reason why I have not yet formally done so is that I want to explain my…— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) July 14, 2024
Ackman said he had held off his endorsement because “I want to explain my thinking in detail and address the arguments put forth by others against Trump. I want to make the case thoughtfully and convincingly.”
“I believe the upcoming presidential election is one of the most consequential elections in my lifetime so I am taking the proper time to articulate observations that I will share widely and for which I assume an important responsibility,” Ackman continued, adding he will explain in detail in “a long-form post” but that he just hasn’t “had the time nor felt the urgency to write the post as we are still a few months from the election.”
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