Tesla and X chief executive Elon Musk has said he is considering developing an Iron Man-style suit of armour after reporting two separate attempts to kill himself.
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 one member of the crowd was killed and two others seriously injured when 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania.
Responding to a post on X to Musk that said ‘you better beef up your security too @elonmusk’ following the shooting, Musk agreed, writing: ‘Maybe it’s time to build that flying metal armor (sic).’
Tesla and X chief executive Elon Musk has said he is considering developing an Iron Man-style suit of armor after reporting two separate attempts to assassinate him.
While Musk may have said those comments in jest, it’s entirely possible he meant them seriously.
Musk has alleged that there have been two separate attempts on his life.
A friend of Musk’s Ian Miles Cheong suggested he “triple down” on his protection, writing on X: “If they can come for Trump, they’ll come for you.”
“Dangerous times ahead. Two people (on separate occasions) have already tried to kill me in the last 8 months. They were arrested with weapons about a 20 minute drive from Tesla headquarters in Texas,” Musk wrote in response, without giving further details.
Musk, who actually made a brief cameo in Iron Man 2, had previously shown interest in a Tony Stark-inspired suit, even meeting with engineer Dylan Lange Edminston, who built his own prototype.
Iron Man writer Mark Fergus said Musk was one of the inspirations behind the Marvel comic book billionaire philanthropist.
Billionaire CEO officially endorsed Trump as his choice for president after Saturday’s shooting Calling the former Republican president “tough.”
Musk, the world’s richest person, posted the endorsement with a video of Trump with blood on his face and shaking his fist after multiple gunshots were heard at Trump’s rally.
The posts cement Musk’s shift toward right-wing politics and give Trump a high-profile endorsement in his quest to return to the White House in the Nov. 5 election.
“I fully support President Trump and look forward to his speedy recovery,” Musk posted on his social media platform X.
Musk had previously shown interest in a Tony Stark-inspired suit, and even met 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 an alleged debate between conservative venture capitalist Peter Thiel and LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic megadonor Reid Hoffman.
Musk later posted a photo of Trump at the event, followed by: “The last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt.”
Musk, who has been stepping up criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden, has also donated to a political group working to elect Trump, Bloomberg reported Friday.
The report did not say how much Musk donated, but added that it was “a considerable amount” given to a group called America PAC.
The South African-born entrepreneur’s influence will benefit Trump, as Musk has one of the largest footprints on X, with 189.5 million followers, meaning his posts can spread widely instantly.
Musk has said he previously voted for Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and also Biden.
But in recent years, Musk has embraced right-wing views, become a fierce critic of Biden’s diversity initiatives and immigration policies and complained that Democrats had given “the 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 to end his life at a campaign event in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Trump manages to raise his clenched fist after standing up 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.
Responding to reports of the meeting, Musk posted on X: “To be super clear, I am not donating money to any of the candidates for President of the United States.”
In May, he also denied media reports that there had been talks about a possible advisory role for him in any Trump presidency.
In July 2022, Musk said Trump was “too old to be” US president and needed to “sail off into the sunset.”
Musk also said he was leaning toward supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president in 2024.
Trump hit back, calling Musk a “con 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 rebranded as X.
Last month, Trump said he was “a fan of Elon,” adding that “he does an incredible job with Tesla.”
Musk said at a recent Tesla shareholder meeting that the two men had had “some conversations.” Trump is a “big fan” of Tesla’s electric pickup trucks, Musk said.
Trump has reiterated his commitment to immediately abandon the Biden administration’s “mandate” to support the electric vehicle industry.
Musk’s support for Republicans and his anti-Semitic and other controversial remarks have alienated some Tesla customers, hurting the automaker’s reputation and sales.