On the 13th (local time), attention is focused on the actions of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, in relation to the shooting of former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. It was revealed that Musk had made a large donation to Trump the day before the shooting, and after the news of the shooting, he expressed his support for Trump, prompting various reactions among netizens such as "Did he predict the future?", "It was a masterstroke," and "It's a coincidence."
According to reports from U.S. media on the previous day, Musk donated to a relatively unknown Trump-affiliated political action committee called 'America PAC.' Although the exact amount of the donation is unclear, it is known to be substantial. America PAC is reportedly conducting direct voter contact and get-out-the-vote activities focused on key battleground states that will determine the outcome of this election. America PAC is scheduled to disclose its donor list on the 15th.
Musk's donation came at a time when former President Trump had surpassed Democratic presidential candidate President Joe Biden in political fundraising, aided by Wall Street and corporate donors. Bloomberg described Musk's donation as "a big gamble by the world's richest person to imprint himself on the American political landscape." It also emphasized that through this donation, Musk's influence as a tech mogul is growing, and that Musk, who had previously stated he would not engage in politics, is transforming into a figure who regularly supports right-wing views and attacks the Democratic Party on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Former President Trump clenching his fist after being shot at the campaign rally [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
Upon hearing the news of Trump's shooting, Musk posted on X, saying, "I fully support President Trump. Wishing him a speedy recovery." After the shooting, Musk shared a video of Trump, surrounded by bodyguards, clenching his fist toward supporters. Musk later posted again, stating, "The last time America had such a strong candidate was Theodore Roosevelt." Roosevelt was shot in the chest during a 1912 presidential campaign rally. Although wearing a bulletproof vest, he refused hospital treatment and insisted on delivering a promised speech to voters, speaking for 90 minutes before stepping down. Musk also called for the resignation of the Secret Service chief and the head of the security team, holding them responsible for the failure to protect former President Trump.
Meanwhile, on the 12th, when news of Musk's donation was spreading, Meta Platforms announced it would lift restrictions on former President Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts. Previously, in January 2021, Meta had blocked Trump's accounts due to his repeated false claims via Facebook that the election results were fraudulent, which could incite violence, following the Capitol riot by Trump supporters. In March of last year, Meta restored Trump's accounts but imposed stricter restrictions than on other users, such as suspending accounts or limiting ads in case of rule violations. The full restoration of Trump's social media accounts comes three and a half years after January 2021. Some analysts interpret Meta's move as a de facto surrender in response to the increasing likelihood of Trump's election as the Republican presidential candidate.
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