‘Those saying Trump endangering democracy are the real threat’: Elon Musk

Elon Musk arrives on stage in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Pic/AFP

Tech mogul Elon Musk, speaking at a town hall on Saturday night in Pennsylvania to support Republican Donald Trump, played down the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and exhorted supporters to cast votes early in the presidential swing state while describing mail ballots as a "recipe for fraud".

The freewheeling session inside a ballroom at a hotel in downtown Lancaster touched on a dizzying range of topics, from space exploration and the Tesla cybertruck to immigration and the efficacy of psychiatric drugs. The town hall was part of Musk's efforts through his super PAC to help boost Trump in swing states ahead of the November 5 presidential election against Democrat Kamala Harris.

Musk, whom Trump has vowed to give a role in his administration if he wins next month, spent nearly two hours taking questions from town hall participants. While most were laudatory and covered a variety of topics, one was particularly pointed: A man wanted to know what Musk would say to concerns from voters that Trump's election could lead to democracy backsliding in the US considering his role in the January 6, 2021, insurrection.

While calling it a fair question, Musk also said that 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. More than 100 law enforcement personnel were injured in the attack.

$75m
Approx. amount Musk has donated to America PAC

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