Musk Says He Is ‘All in’ on Trump in US Election

Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) speaks on stage as he joins former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at site of his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) speaks on stage as he joins former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at site of his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
TT

Musk Says He Is ‘All in’ on Trump in US Election

Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) speaks on stage as he joins former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at site of his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5, 2024. (AFP)
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (R) speaks on stage as he joins former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during a campaign rally at site of his first assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania on October 5, 2024. (AFP)

Elon Musk is ramping up his public support of Donald Trump, telling Tucker Carlson in a conversation streamed Monday that he is "all in" on the Republican presidential candidate.

After appearing alongside Trump at a weekend rally, the world's richest man used a cozy two-hour chat with Carlson to push right-wing talking points, including what he said was the threat to democracy if Democrat Kamala Harris prevails in November's election.

"My view is that if Trump doesn't win this election, it's the last election we're going to have," the Tesla and SpaceX boss told former Fox News host Carlson.

Musk, who has increasingly courted controversy in recent years, said he believed "illegals" -- migrants -- were being deliberately transported to a handful of key states, where if they are eventually granted citizenship, they would become Democrat voters.

"Now these swing-state margins are sometimes ten- twenty-thousand votes. So what happens if you put hundreds of thousands of people into each swing state?

"So my prediction is, if there's another four years of a Dem administration, they will legalize so many illegals that... the next election there won't be any swing states, and this will be a single-party country."

The assertions from Musk -- who is himself from South Africa -- are a common refrain on the political right, which alleges a conspiracy between Democrats and immigrants.

Musk is increasingly becoming a surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail, and is reportedly planning to make a number of stops in battleground states in the coming weeks.

Over the weekend, he unveiled a program promising to pay $47 to anyone who registers voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan.

The scheme is looking to copy successful referral programs the South Africa-born entrepreneur has used in the past with his Tesla electric cars.

In his nearly two-hour chat with Carlson, in which the two men chuckled repeatedly at each other's pronouncements, Musk said he had thrown his full backing behind fellow billionaire Trump.

"If he loses, it's going to be hard for you to pretend you never supported him," said Carlson.

"I'm like, all in, baby," replied Musk.

"How long do you think my prison sentence is gonna be?" he chortled, laughing at the idea that the tables would turn against him under a Democratic administration. "Will I see my children? I don't know."



Israeli Defense Minister Will Hold Talks in Washington

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addresses a press conference with his German counterpart after signing a Declaration of Intent on the ARROW 3 missile defense project at the Defense Ministry in Berlin on September 28, 2023. (AFP)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addresses a press conference with his German counterpart after signing a Declaration of Intent on the ARROW 3 missile defense project at the Defense Ministry in Berlin on September 28, 2023. (AFP)
TT

Israeli Defense Minister Will Hold Talks in Washington

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addresses a press conference with his German counterpart after signing a Declaration of Intent on the ARROW 3 missile defense project at the Defense Ministry in Berlin on September 28, 2023. (AFP)
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant addresses a press conference with his German counterpart after signing a Declaration of Intent on the ARROW 3 missile defense project at the Defense Ministry in Berlin on September 28, 2023. (AFP)

Israel’s defense minister will travel to Washington this week for talks at the Pentagon.

Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is having regular discussions with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. He said the conversations include what Israel’s next steps will be.

Noting that Gallant will be in the Pentagon to meet with Austin this week, he said the visit “provides the opportunity for ongoing discussions in more depth.” Austin, he said, will also continue to stress the importance of talking civilian safety into account.

Asked if the US has gotten assurances from the Israelis that they will give the Biden administration a heads up as they conduct major operations, Ryder said the US has been clear that “it’s helpful to be able to have awareness about activities in the region for several reasons. One, to ensure that we can protect Americans and US forces throughout the region in terms of potential second, third order effects.”

“But then also as we work to support the defense of Israel,” he stressed.

Ryder would not comment on what the US may or may not do if Israel strikes nuclear or other key targets in Iran. He said Austin agrees with President Joe Biden in opposition to strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.

He said the US continues to work to prevent the conflict from expanding into a wider regional war. But he stressed that the US supports Israel’s efforts to defend itself against Hamas, through operations in Gaza, and against Hezbollah, through strikes in Lebanon.