At town halls, Elon Musk works to harness his celebrity to boost Trump

On Sunday night, billionaire Elon Musk, successful a pitch-black Make America Great Again hat, took nan shape astatine Madison Square Garden to present erstwhile President Donald Trump to a packed assemblage of MAGA supporters.

"I'm not conscionable MAGA, I'm acheronian Gothic MAGA," Musk said, drafting applause.

Twenty-four hours earlier, Musk was successful Pennsylvania, speaking to complete 1,200 voters astatine a packed municipality hallway organized by his governmental action committee, America PAC, wherever fans from astir nan authorities came to spot nan tech titan who has thrown his support -- and millions of dollars -- down Trump's statesmanlike campaign.

Musk, appearing without Trump, spent astir 3 hours fielding questions from supporters who asked nan billionaire everything from proposal connected really to raise their daughters to really he would hole nan United States acquisition system. And while Saturday's municipality hallway whitethorn person been aimed astatine helping boost Trump's chances successful nan state, it was clear passim nan nighttime why galore of nan attendees came out.

"Elon Musk -- I mean, he's my hero," Austin, a 29-year-old electrician from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told ABC News. "I'm chiefly present to spot him."

A 'national treasure'

In nan lead-up to Election Day, Musk has embarked connected an unprecedented effort to thief Trump triumph nan predetermination -- investing millions from his immense luck into America PAC, which is saturating cardinal battleground states pinch ads while spearheading Trump's section operations. But nan world's richest man is besides hoping to thief Trump by harnessing his powerfulness arsenic an influencer -- a strategy that has been connected show astatine nan bid of municipality halls he's been holding astir nan state.

For Musk diehards for illustration Austin, it mightiness beryllium working.

"I astir apt wouldn't beryllium consenting to travel retired to nan event," Austin said erstwhile asked if he would person attended conscionable for nan governmental content. "I don't deliberation I attraction capable to travel to an arena -- but pinch Elon Musk here, absolutely."

Many of nan questions astatine Saturday's municipality hallway focused connected issues facing nan country, but attendees often turned their attraction to Musk himself, pinch fans heaping praise connected nan billionaire and utilizing their clip to inquire for individual proposal -- aliases moreover transportation Musk connected a business opportunity.

A man from West Chester, Pennsylvania, asked Musk if his Neuralink brain-computer interface could heal his friend pinch spina bifida and thief him locomotion again. One attendee shared pinch Musk that he'd named his three-year-old boy aft him and asked for an autograph to springiness him erstwhile he's older. Another attendee asked Musk for parenting proposal connected really to amended animate his daughter's liking successful subject and space.

Throughout nan evening, supporters praised Musk arsenic a "national treasure," an "American patriot," and "absolutely brilliant."

The astir contentious infinitesimal of nan nighttime came erstwhile a young attendee asked Musk what he would opportunity to voters concerned astir Trump's refusal to judge nan 2020 predetermination results, and his domiciled successful nan Jan. 6 onslaught connected nan Capitol.

SpaceX and Tesla laminitis Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC municipality hallway connected Oct. 26, 2024, successful Lancaster, Pa.

Samuel Corum/Getty Images

"You're an idiot," 1 personification successful nan crowd shouted erstwhile nan mobility was asked, and others successful nan crowd booed.

While Musk said it was a "fair decision," nan billionaire went connected to downplay nan convulsive onslaught connected nan Capitol and pushed unfounded claims of "voter irregularities," claiming that those who went to nan Capitol had "some merit."

Musk said nan Jan. 6 onslaught was "in nary measurement a convulsive insurrection."

"I disagree pinch nan level of protest, but it's, it was successful nary measurement a convulsive insurrection," Musk said of nan attack, successful which nan Department of Justice said complete 140 constabulary officers were assaulted and complete 160 rioters later pleaded blameworthy to assaulting rule enforcement.

'A heck of a coincidence?'

Throughout his galore municipality halls successful nan state, Musk, who has complete 200 cardinal followers connected his societal media level X, has besides many times pushed misinformation surrounding nan predetermination aliases erstwhile predetermination cycles.

While appearing astatine an arena successful Folsom, Pennsylvania, Musk repeated a debunked conspiracy mentation that voting machines had rigged nan 2020 election.

"There's ever a benignant of mobility of like, say, nan Dominion voting machines. It is weird that the, you know, I deliberation they're utilized successful Philadelphia and successful Maricopa County, but not successful a batch of different places," Musk told nan plaything authorities crowd. "Doesn't that look for illustration a heck of a coincidence?"

A Dominion spokesperson refuted Musk's comments successful a connection pursuing nan municipality hall, saying that nan institution doesn't run successful Philadelphia.

"Fact: Dominion does not service Philadelphia County. Fact: Dominion's voting systems are already based connected elector verified insubstantial ballots. Fact: Hand counts and audits of specified insubstantial ballots person many times proven that Dominion machines nutrient meticulous results. These are not matters of opinion. They are verifiable facts," said nan spokesperson for Dominion, which past twelvemonth reached a $787 cardinal settlement pinch Fox News aft it sued nan web for making akin unfounded claims.

On nan website of Maricopa County, officials besides stated that voting machines successful nan 2020 predetermination were accurate, penning that a manus count aft nan predetermination "found zero variances betwixt manus count results and nan Dominion tabulation equipment."

Beyond nan municipality halls, Musk -- though his America PAC -- has been holding a bid of $1 cardinal giveaways for registered voters. Every time until Election Day, Musk's group has pledged to grant $1 cardinal to a randomly chosen registered elector from a plaything authorities who agrees to motion a petition supporting nan First and Second amendments.

The lottery quickly sparked controversy, and connected Monday, aft Musk had fixed distant his eighth million-dollar check, nan Philadelphia territory lawyer sued Musk and his ace PAC complete nan giveaway.

When asked for comment, a typical for America PAC pointed ABC News to a station connected X announcing Monday's $1 cardinal giveaway winner, which was published aft news of nan suit broke. The victor connected Monday was from Michigan, according to nan post

'I deliberation that resonates'

For galore of Trump's die-hard fans astatine Saturday's municipality hall, Musk helped solidify their support.

Van Moore, a 39-year-old information head from Lampeter, Pennsylvania, told ABC News that he's voted for Trump since 2016 -- but that he still likes seeing personification who isn't wholly successful lockstep pinch nan erstwhile president.

"Elon Musk isn't 100% aligned pinch each of nan issues, I would say, pinch erstwhile President Trump, but I do deliberation that they are aligned connected a batch of cardinal issues, and I deliberation that resonates, obviously, pinch group here," Moore said.

Others are hoping nan enthusiasm from Musk spreads to those who aren't arsenic supportive of Trump.

"I deliberation he's bringing a batch of group who still are undecided, who possibly want to perceive what he has to say, and his insight, and person an unfastened conversation," 1 attendee said. "I'm hoping."