Elon Musk made his first appearance at a Trump rally, casting the election in dire terms.

Billionaire tech executive Elon Musk cast the upcoming presidential election as dire during a sit-down with Donald Trump on Saturday, saying the Republican presidential candidate is the only one who will “preserve American democracy.”

Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, which purchased the X, joined Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he survived an assassination attempt in July. He warned that if Trump does not win, “this will be the last election” and acknowledged the ominous nature of his remarks, wearing a black hat and a black background with the Trump campaign’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. It seemed like it was.

“You see, I’m not just a MAGA. “I’m a Dark MAGA,” he said.

The appearance marked Musk’s first participation in one of Trump’s trademark rallies and symbolized the growing alliance between the two men in the final stages of a competitive presidential election. In the final months of the campaign, Musk created a super PAC supporting Republican candidates who have been spending heavily on get-out-the-vote efforts. President Trump said he would appoint Musk to head the Government Efficiency Council if he regained the White House.

Trump joined Musk in August for a rare public conversation about X, a very friendly one that lasted more than two hours. In the report, the former president focused largely on the July assassination attempt, illegal immigration and his plans to loosen government regulations.

Addressing a large crowd on Saturday, Musk tried to portray Trump as a champion of free speech and claimed that Democrats “want to take away your free speech, take away your right to bear arms, and take away your fight.” You can vote effectively.” Musk went on to criticize California’s efforts to ban voter ID requirements.

Saturday’s rally took place at the same location where a gunman’s bullet grazed Trump’s right ear and killed his supporter Corey Comperatore. Several other people were injured in the shooting.

Several members of Comperatore’s family, other attendees of the July vigil and emergency responders returned to the scene on Saturday. Also joining the former president were his running mate, Republican Ohio Senator JD Vance, son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law and RNC co-chair Lara Trump, as well as Pennsylvania lawmakers and sheriffs. appeared together.

Kinnard reports from Chapin, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP.