Elon Musk will join Donald Trump at the site of the first assassination attempt

• Elon Musk joins Donald Trump for a rally in Pennsylvania.
• It will be held at the same location where a gunman nearly assassinated Trump in July.
• Musk has become one of Trump’s most prominent supporters.

Donald Trump has a new headliner: Elon Musk.

The billionaire owner of some of the world’s most prominent companies confirmed in a post on X on Saturday that he would speak at the former president’s high-profile rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — the same place where Trump was nearly assassinated in July.

In a press release from the Trump campaign, Musk is listed as an attendee just after Trump’s immediate family but before his running mate, JD Vance, in what is likely a nod to how important the campaign is to him Musk’s presence at the event.

The rally is scheduled to take place at the same venue, the Butler Farm Show Grounds, where a gunman managed to blast Trump in the ear in what was surely the most dramatic moment of a historic presidential campaign season.

Immediately after the shooting, Musk officially endorsed Trump. Since then, he has been a vocal supporter, mostly through posts on X, applauding the former president and criticizing his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, almost daily.

But Musk and Trump weren’t always so friendly. In 2015, Musk said it would be “a little embarrassing” if Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination. And in 2016, he said Trump was “not the right man” for the presidency. As president-elect at the end of 2016, Trump announced that Musk would join his economic advisory council, but Musk would later cut ties with the administration over disagreements over climate change policies.

The two found common ground in 2020 while opposing COVID-19 regulations, but their feud intensified in July 2022. At a Trump rally, Trump called Musk a “stupid artist,” after which Musk suggested that Trump should not run for president again. Trump fired back, saying that Musk would be “worthless” without government subsidies and that previously Trump could have made Musk beg on his knees for government support.

Despite their on-again, off-again relationship, Musk has been pretty consistent in supporting Republican causes. Musk has donated millions to conservative campaigns over the years, including at least $10 million to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was running against Trump for the GOP nomination. Musk endorsed DeSantis and interviewed X live as he launched his campaign, though the launch was riddled with errors and mercilessly mocked by Trump.

The relationship between the two has now completely changed. Musk is now one of the president’s most prominent supporters. Musk has funded a pro-Trump super PAC that has donated millions to Republican races and released ads in which Trump is the only option to “save America.”

And in August, Trump said he would offer Musk a Cabinet position, calling him “a brilliant guy.” Musk said he would accept in a post on X, envisioning himself in charge of “government efficiency.”