Elon Musk accompanies Donald Trump at the site of the first assassination attempt

• Elon Musk accompanies Donald Trump to a rally in Pennsylvania.
• It will take place at the same location where a gunman almost 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 important 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.

A Trump campaign press release lists Musk as an attendee immediately after Trump's immediate family but before his vice president JD Vance, perhaps a nod to how important Musk's presence at the event is to the campaign.

The rally is scheduled to take place at the same location, the Butler Farm Show Grounds, where a gunman managed to hit Trump in the ear in what was easily 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, most notably through posts on X applauding the former president and criticizing his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, on an almost daily basis.

But Musk and Trump weren't always so friends. 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 right” for the presidency. As president-elect at the end of 2016 Trump announced that Musk would join his economic advisory council, but Musk later cut ties with the administration over disagreements over climate policy.

The two found some common ground in 2020 as they defied COVID-19 regulations, but their feud intensified in July 2022. At a Trump rally, Trump called Musk a “bullshit artist,” after which Musk suggested that Trump should not run for president again. Trump retaliated, saying Musk would be “worthless” without government subsidies and that Trump could have previously had Musk on his knees begging for government support.

Despite their on-again, off-again relationship, Musk has been fairly consistent in his support of Republican causes. Musk has donated millions to conservative campaigns over the years, including at least $10 million to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was competing against Trump for the Republican nomination. Musk endorsed DeSantis and interviewed him live on

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 campaigns and run ads touting Trump as the only option to “save America.”

And in August, Trump said he would offer Musk a Cabinet post, calling him a “brilliant guy.” Musk said he would agree in a post on