Elon Musk joined Donald Trump on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the site of the assassination attempt that killed firefighter Corey Comperatore and injured Trump and others. But this was not a solemn occasion.
As Musk took the stage in an all-black MAGA cap and “Occupy Mars” t-shirt, he bounced up and down, launching countless memes as the internet mocked him — often on X (formerly Twitter), the social media site Musk purchased for $44 billion in 2022. Recently, Musk shared that the company is now valued at just $19 billion, a $25 billion decline.
Critiques of Musk’s jumping technique pointed out just how awkward he looked as well as Trump’s visual disgust when Musk took the stage. As Rolling Stone reported in August, Trump thinks Musk is “weird,” “boring,” annoying and has mood swings. In 2022, Trump publicly called Musk “another bullshit artist.”
Users on Threads took the photo of Musk’s leaps and inserted it into famous movie moments, including Jack and Rose’s romantic embrace on the bow of the Titanic, Patrick Swayze’s finale lift in Dirty Dancing, and, of course, Musk as Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker dancing down the stairs.
“As you can see, I’m not just MAGA — I’m dark MAGA,” Musk told the rally crowd.
Musk has cozied up to Trump in recent months, injecting a “sizable amount” of cash into his presidential campaign and creating a pro-Trump super PAC — America PAC — that is run by two individuals with ties to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ failed presidential primary bid.
While on stage at the rally, Musk spread disinformation in an attempt to bolster Trump’s candidacy. He claimed that “the other side” wants “to take away your right to vote, effectively.” And he falsely alleged that Democrats are recruiting undocumented immigrants to vote. None of these claims is based in fact.
Trump, however, has assured Christian members of his base that they “won’t have to vote anymore” if he is elected.
“Christians, get out and vote!” Trump told supporters in Florida at a July event. “Just this time. You won’t have to do it anymore. Four more years. You know what? It’ll be fixed! It’ll be fine! You won’t have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians. I love you, Christians!”
Trump added, “You gotta get out and vote. In four years, you don’t have to vote again. We’ll have it fixed so good, you’re not gonna have to vote.”
In August, Musk suggested he is open to serving in Trump’s cabinet and jokingly tweeted, “I am willing to serve,” alongside an image of himself at a podium labeled “D.O.G.E. Department Of Government Efficiency,” a reference to Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency Musk frequently touts.
Considering the dismal state of X — hate has proliferated on the platform since Musk’s takeover, as has misinformation and disinformation — not to mention Musk’s open drug use and paranoia, we should all fear Cabinet Secretary Elon Musk.