Philadelphia. Elon Musk held his first solo event in support of Donald Trump on Thursday, urging voters in the Philadelphia suburbs to register and vote early, though some attendees shouted back, "Why?"

The America PAC event took place at Ridley High School's auditorium in Folsom, featuring Musk speaking for about 15 minutes in front of a large US flag before taking questions from the audience, many of whom donned "Make America Great Again" hats.

The event was framed as a call to action for early voting in Pennsylvania, a key battleground state where Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris are in a tight race. Some attendees expressed skepticism about Musk’s push for early voting, highlighting the challenges Republicans face in convincing their supporters to embrace this method after Trump spent years criticizing it.

The crowd cheered and filmed as Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X (formerly Twitter), walked onstage. They remained standing throughout his remarks, erupting in applause when he emphasized the importance of upholding the U.S. Constitution. “These are the fundamental values that made America what it is today. Anyone who opposes them is fundamentally anti-American, and to hell with them,” he said.

Musk encouraged attendees to ensure their friends and family were registered to vote and to "pester" those who weren't. During the question-and-answer segment, he was asked about the advisability of early voting in Pennsylvania. After briefly engaging with a fan and a child onstage, he answered that people should vote immediately. This prompted some attendees to shout, “Why?” Musk did not respond, and a spokesperson later indicated he had no further comment.

Trump has long raised doubts about mail and early voting, alleging fraud despite the rarity of such incidents in the U.S. This year, Republicans are renewing efforts to encourage early voting, acknowledging the skepticism ingrained in supporters due to Trump’s past claims.

Attendees John and Linda Bird shared concerns about voting integrity and early voting. John indicated he planned to vote on Election Day, while Linda expressed anxiety about potential obstacles that could prevent her from reaching the polls on November 5. “Anything can happen. You wake up that morning, and something catastrophic could occur,” she said, though she also planned to vote on Election Day.

One audience member questioned election fraud—a topic Trump falsely claimed cost him the 2020 election. An Associated Press review found fewer than 475 potential cases of voter fraud across six battleground states, a number insignificant enough to affect outcomes.

Musk sarcastically suggested it was coincidental that Dominion voting machines, central to 2020 conspiracy theories, were used in Philadelphia and Maricopa County, Arizona—two battlegrounds won by Democrat Joe Biden. Dominion Voting Systems recently settled a defamation lawsuit against Fox News for $787 million over false claims made about their machines.

In a statement, Dominion clarified that its machines are not used in Philadelphia, emphasizing the accuracy of their systems based on "verified paper ballots." “These are not matters of opinion; they are verifiable facts,” they asserted.

Musk has become a prominent supporter of Trump this election season, framing the stakes of the election as dire. “I haven’t been politically active before. I’m politically active now because I think the future of America and civilization is at stake,” he stated.

Before the event began, attendees lined up before 3 p.m. as school let out. Some left early, realizing that not everyone would get a chance to ask questions. The event was livestreamed on X but faced technical glitches that made it difficult for some viewers to follow, even as it attracted hundreds of thousands.

Musk is spearheading Trump’s get-out-the-vote efforts through America PAC, a super PAC he has funded with over $70 million to support Trump and other Republicans in the upcoming elections. Trump and the Republican National Committee have employed an unconventional strategy of sharing canvassing duties with groups like Musk's, focusing their outreach not on independent or moderate voters but on those who already support Trump but typically do not vote. Republican activists in swing states reported little activity from the PAC's get-out-the-vote initiatives as of September.

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