‘I didn't know that’: Musk surprises Trump with revelation about his 2024 endorsement

DOGE chief Elon Musk revealed details about his thought process on endorsing President Trump during a sit-down interview with Trump and Fox News anchor Sean Hannity on Tuesday night that the president said he had not heard before.

"I was going to do it anyway," Musk said during the interview that aired Tuesday night when Hannity mentioned that his endorsement of Trump came after an attempt on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania on the campaign trail.

"That was it?" Hannity said.

"That was a precipitating event," Musk said. 

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Musk endorsed Trump shortly after the assassination attempt on his life (AP/Gene J. Puskar/Julia Nikhinson)

"That sped it up a little bit?" Trump then said to Musk. "I didn’t know that."

Musk responded, "It sped it up, but I was going to do it anyway."

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Elon Musk speaks during an event in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump at the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Images)

Musk announced that he "fully supports" former President Trump after gunshots rang out at his Pennsylvania rally in July in a move that many, including some Democrats, believe played a significant role in Trump's campaign.

"Not even just that he has endorsed [Trump], but the fact that now he’s becoming an active participant and showing up and doing rallies and things like that," Dem. Sen. John Fetterman told the New York Times in October, explaining that the enormously successful Tesla and SpaceX CEO is an attractive figure for the kinds of voters Harris needs to win.

US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after landing at the Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 16, 2025 (ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP via Getty Images)

"I mean, [Musk] is incredibly successful, and, you know, I think some people would see him as, like, a Tony Stark," said Fetterman, referencing the popular Marvel Comics character. "Democrats, you know, kind of make light of it, or they make fun of him jumping up and down and things like that. And I would just say that they are doing that at our peril."

In an interview with CNN, Fetterman added, "Endorsements, they’re really not meaningful often, but this one is, I think. That has me concerned."

Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report

Andrew Mark Miller is a reporter at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..