Investment mogul Elon Musk has ramped up his support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump by promising cash for those who support a political petition that backs the candidate.
Tech tycoon Elon Musk has promised to give $100 (€92.2) to anyone who signs a petition in support of free speech, the right to bear arms, and is a registered US voter in the state of Pennsylvania.
In a post on social media platform X, which he owns, he wrote:
“Earn money for supporting something you already believe in … Offer valid until midnight on Monday.”
The post links to a blocked America PAC website that is only accessible to US viewers. According to Pennsylvania think tank FaceCheck.org, America PAC is a pro-Trump super PAC that aims to increase voter turnout.
The announcement came after Musk held his first solo event in support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday under the guise of America PAC.
The America PAC political fundraising event at a local high school in the Philadelphia city of Folsom featured the world’s richest man speaking for roughly 15 minutes before taking questions from the crowd. Many attendees wore “Make America Great Again” hats.
The event was billed as a call to action to vote early in the crucial battleground state of Pennsylvania – a region where Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are fiercely contesting the election, scheduled for 5 November.
Some in the crowd questioned Musk’s requests to vote early, reflecting the possibility that Republicans are still persuading their supporters to embrace early voting after Trump spent years demonising the method.
More than 300,000 people cast their ballots in the first day of early voting in the key battleground state of Georgia this week.
The crowd rose to its feet and took videos as Musk – the billionaire founder of Tesla and Space X and owner of the social media platform X – walked onstage.
They remained standing during his remarks and cheered loudly after he said the US Constitution needs to be upheld.
“This is literally the fundamental values that made America what it is today. And anyone who is against those things is fundamentally anti-American and to hell with them,” said Musk, who was born in South Africa. The crowd erupted.
He exhorted the crowd to make sure they and their friends and family were registered to vote and to “pester” those who weren’t.
Toward the end of the question period, he was asked to explain whether people should vote early in Pennsylvania. He did not answer. A spokesperson said after the event that he didn’t have additional comment.
Trump for years has sowed doubt about mail and early voting by claiming it was rife with fraud, though voter fraud is rare in the US.
This year, Republicans are making a renewed push to encourage their supporters to vote early and lock in their ballots, though they acknowledge scepticism from those conditioned by Trump’s false claims.
