Elon Musk makes bizarre superhero-inspired proposal to keep Donald Trump safe from future attacks
Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has said he wants to develop Iron Man-style armor after allegedly attempting to take his own life on two separate occasions.
Musk made his revelations in the wake of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday.
Trump survived the attack after a bullet grazed his right ear, but a spectator was killed and two others were seriously wounded when Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
In response to a message on X to Musk saying “you need to beef up your security too @elonmusk” after the shooting, Musk agreed, writing: “Maybe it’s time to build that flying metal armor [sic].
Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has said he wants to develop Iron Man-like armor after claiming two separate attempts on his own life
While Musk may have made the comments as a joke, he may also be serious
Musk claims there were two separate attempts on his own life
A friend of Musk, Ian Miles Cheong, suggested tripling his protection, writing on X: “If they can come for Trump, they will come for you.”
“Dangerous times ahead. Two people (on separate occasions) have already tried to kill me in the last 8 months. They were arrested with weapons about a 20 minute drive from Tesla HQ in Texas,” Musk wrote in response, without sharing any details.
Musk, who incidentally had a brief cameo in Iron Man 2, previously expressed interest in a Tony Stark-inspired suit, even meeting with engineer Dylan Lange Edminston, who built his own prototype.
Iron Man writer Mark Fergus said Musk was one of the inspirations for the philanthropist and billionaire from the Marvel comic.
The billionaire CEO officially endorsed Trump as his presidential candidate after Saturday’s shooting called the former Republican president “tough.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, posted his endorsement in a video showing Trump with blood on his face, clenching his fist in the air after multiple shots were fired at Trump’s rally.
The reports confirm Musk’s shift to the right and give Trump a prominent supporter in his bid to return to the White House in the Nov. 5 election.
“I fully support President Trump and hope for his speedy recovery,” Musk wrote on his social media platform X.
Musk has previously expressed interest in a Tony Stark-inspired suit, even meeting with engineer Dylan Lange Edminston who built his own prototype
Musk, right, even had a brief cameo in Iron Man 2 in 2010
Musk has also donated to a political group campaigning for Trump’s election and endorsed him on Saturday
“The martyr lived,” he wrote in a later post, referring to a reported debate between conservative venture capitalist Peter Thiel and LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman.
Musk later posted a photo of Trump at the event, followed by: “The last time America had such a strong candidate was Theodore Roosevelt.”
Musk, who has become increasingly critical of US President Joe Biden, has also donated to a political group campaigning for Trump’s election, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
The report does not reveal how much Musk donated, but it does say a “significant amount” was given to a group called America PAC.
The South African-born businessman’s influence could benefit Trump, as Musk has one of the largest footprints on X with 189.5 million followers, meaning his messages can spread like wildfire.
Musk said he previously voted for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Biden.
In recent years, however, Musk has taken right-wing positions, becoming a fierce critic of diversity initiatives and Biden’s immigration policies, and complaining that Democrats have been “completely cold” toward Tesla and his rocket company SpaceX.
Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face as he is surrounded by Secret Service agents who attempt on his life during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania
Trump manages to hold up a clenched fist after getting back to his feet after the shooting
In March, Trump, who is expected to be formally nominated later this week as the Republican Party’s candidate for the fall elections, is said to have met with Musk and other wealthy donors.
In response to reports of the meeting, Musk posted the following on X: “To make it very clear: I am not donating money to either candidate for President of the United States.”
In May, he also denied media reports that there had been discussions about a possible advisory role for him during a possible Trump presidency.
In July 2022, Musk said Trump was “too old to be president of the United States” and that Trump should “sail off into the sunset.”
Musk also said he is leaning toward supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president in 2024.
Trump hit back, calling Musk a ‘Bull***t artist’
In late 2022, Twitter reversed its ban on former President Trump, shortly after Musk completed his $44 billion purchase of the controversial social media platform. Musk later renamed the platform X.
Last month, Trump said he was “a fan of Elon,” adding that “he’s doing an incredible job at Tesla.”
Musk said at a recent Tesla shareholder meeting that the two men had had “some conversations.” Trump is a “big fan” of Tesla’s electric pickup trucks, Musk said.
Trump has reiterated his pledge to immediately abandon the Biden administration’s “mandate” to support the electric car industry.
Musk’s support for Republicans and his anti-Semitic and other controversial comments have alienated some Tesla customers, negatively impacting the automaker’s reputation and sales.