Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has said he is looking at developing an Iron Man-style suit of armor after alleging two separate attempts on his own life.
Musk’s comments came in the wake of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump on Saturday.
Trump survived after a bullet grazed his right ear, but a member of the crowd was killed with two others left critically injured when Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20 opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
In response to a post on X to Musk that read ‘you better beef up your security too @elonmusk’ after the shooting, Musk agreed writing: ‘Maybe it’s time to build that flying metal suit of armor [sic].’
Tesla and X CEO Elon Musk has said he is looking at developing an Iron Man-style suit of armor after alleging two separate attempts on his own life
Although Musk may have said the comments in jest, he may very well be serious
Musk has alleged there have been two separate attempts on his own life
A friend of Musk, Ian Miles Cheong, suggested he ‘triple’ his protection, writing on X: ‘If they can come for Trump they will also come for you.’
‘Dangerous times ahead. Two people (separate occasions) have already tried to kill me in the past 8 months. They were arrested with guns about 20 mins drive from Tesla HQ in Texas,’ Musk wrote in response, without sharing any specifics.
Musk, who actually made a brief cameo in Iron Man 2, has previously shown interest in a Tony Stark-inspired suit, even meeting with engineer Dylan Lange Edminston who built his own prototype.
The writer behind Iron Man Mark Fergus said Musk was one of the inspirations behind the Marvel comic’s billionaire philanthropist.
The billionaire CEO officially endorsed Trump as his pick for president following Saturday’s shooting calling the Republican former president ‘tough.’
Musk, the world’s richest person, posted the endorsement with a video of Trump with blood on his face pumping his fist after multiple shots rang out at Trump’s rally.
The posts cement Musk’s shift towards right-wing politics and hands Trump a high-profile backer in his quest to return to the White House in the November 5 election.
‘I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery,’ Musk posted on his social media platform X.
Musk has previously shown interest in a Tony Stark-inspired suit, even meeting with engineer Dylan Lange Edminston who built his own prototype
Musk, right, even made a brief cameo in Iron Man 2 in 2010
Musk has also donated to a political group working to elect Trump and endorsed him on Saturday
‘The martyr lived,’ he wrote in a later post, citing a reported debate between conservative venture capitalist Peter Thiel and LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman.
Musk later posted a photograph of Trump at the event, followed by: ‘Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt.’
Musk, who has been ramping up criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden, has also donated to a political group working to elect Trump, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
The report did not indicate how much Musk donated but added it was ‘a sizable amount’ given to a group called America PAC.
The South African-born businessman’s sway stands to benefit Trump, since Musk has one of the largest footprints on X with 189.5 million followers, meaning his posts can instantaneously spread widely.
Musk has said he previously voted for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton as well as Biden.
However, in the last few years, Musk has espoused right-wing views, becoming a fierce critic of diversity initiatives, Biden’s immigration policies and complaining that Democrats had given a ‘very cold shoulder’ to Tesla and his rocket company SpaceX.
Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face as he is surrounded by secret service agents in an attempt on his life at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania
Trump manages to raise a clenched fist after getting back to his feet following the shooting
In March, Trump, who is expected to be formally nominated later this week as the Republican Party’s candidate for the fall election, reportedly met with Musk and other wealthy donors.
In response to reports of the meeting, Musk posted on X: ‘Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President.’
In May, he also denied media reports that there had been talks over a potential advisory role for him in any Trump presidency.
In July 2022, Musk said Trump was ‘too old to be’ president of the United States, and Trump needed to ‘sail into the sunset.’
Musk also said he was leaning towards supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president in 2024.
Trump hit back, calling Musk a ‘Bull***t artist’
Then in late 2022, Twitter reversed its ban on former President Trump shortly after Musk completed his $44 billion purchase of the controversial social media platform, which he later renamed X.
Last month, Trump said he was ‘a fan of Elon,’ adding ‘he does an incredible job with Tesla.’
Musk said at a recent Tesla shareholder meeting that the two men had ‘some conversations.’ Trump is a ‘huge fan’ of Tesla’s electric pickup trucks, Musk said.
Trump has reiterated his pledge to immediately abandon the Biden administration’s ‘mandate’ to support the electric vehicle industry.
Musk’s support for Republicans and his antisemitic and other controversial comments have alienated some Tesla customers, weighing on the carmaker’s reputation and sales.
