Conspiracy theories, free speech and a $1 million check: an evening at Elon Musk's big giveaway | US elections 2024

The world's richest man stood in front of a large U.S. flag stretched across a huge stage and told the assembled crowd that he loved them.

“This kind of energy lights a fire in my soul,” he said, having just made one of the crowd a millionaire after everyone shouted his name.

Of course, his love – and that $1 million – was contingent on all of them doing exactly what Elon Musk wanted: signing a petition related to his political action committee (Pac), which advocates for the return of Donald Trump to the presidency White House sets in.

The spectacle was both surreal and potentially illegal. But no one here, not least Musk himself, seemed to care in the slightest.

The billionaire was in Pittsburgh on his last stop in the vital swing state of Pennsylvania. He had donated $75 million to help Trump get re-elected and appeared poised to accept a job offer in Trump's administration if he won.

Musk's latest ploy to give Trump more political power was to give away $1 million every day to a member of the public, provided they also live in a swing state and are eligible to vote.

According to some experts, the trick is illegal and amounts to vote buying because it violates federal election law, which prohibits payments to register as a voter. The state's Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro, described it on Sunday as “deeply concerning” and urged law enforcement to “take a look at it.” Musk's America Pac did not respond to a list of questions from the Guardian about the town hall in Pittsburgh.

Sunday's winner was a woman named Kristine Fishell, who came down from the theater's balcony wearing a red Trump T-shirt while Musk waited awkwardly on stage. She thanked him not only for the money, but also for the “wealth and responsibility you are using to save (free) expression.” She did not return to her seat after accepting the huge check and organizers did not make her available for an interview. Hours later, a video of Fishell advocating the virtues of signing his petition to soft piano music was posted on Musk's X platform.

Many of the Roxian Theater attendees said they had registered for the event before he announced the $1 million raffle.

Most said they were not concerned about the idea of ​​the world's richest man taking a job in the Trump administration, despite the myriad conflicts of interest that would arise. (Musk's companies have several multibillion-dollar contracts with the U.S. government, and Trump has proposed making him “cost-cutting secretary,” an unclear new position within the executive branch.)

“I don’t think it’s a conflict of interest,” said one woman who did not give her name. “I think he’s fighting for many Americans who feel like their rights, especially free speech, are being stripped away.”

Evan Huber was unfazed by the argument that Musk's rise to power would mark the beginning of a new era of American oligarchy.

“At this point, all you can do is get power,” he said, shrugging. “You already have all the money.”

Lauren Stephenson, 40, who described herself as a political independent, arrived at the venue at 8.30am determined to secure a seat.

“We need more entrepreneurs,” she said when asked what Elon Musk has ever done for her personally. “I don’t understand why we condemn success. We used to celebrate success.”

Stephenson, who was sad she didn't win the $1 million but said she still plans to buy her first Tesla, was frustrated that she couldn't ask a question during the rest of the roughly two-hour town hall event.

Throughout the event, Musk repeated a litany of falsehoods related to Trump's campaign. He argued that the “Constitution is under literal attack,” spread false claims about voting machines and said a Trump defeat in November could ultimately spell the end of American democracy. “I'm afraid if Trump doesn't win, we're going to have a one-party state that's going to be worse than California,” he said.

Many in the audience asked questions about Musk's business; his views on the future of AI; even if they were supposed to start their own family. One asked whether he would consider running for president himself in 2028. He couldn't do that because of the U.S. Constitution's natural citizen clause, he explained, and he didn't want the job.

“I hate politics,” he said. “I just like building things. And make products that people love.”

When he was once asked a question about the future of nuclear energy and began extolling the virtues of the sun, a participant shouted, “Yes! Go to the sun!”. Later, a man tried to get the crowd to spontaneously sing the national anthem, but no one joined in. Another participant was removed by security after attempting to shout a question out of turn.

But others raised more conspiracy-themed questions, including whether Musk would consider funding the screening of documentaries about child sex trafficking at the U.S. border or whether he would consider setting up a Hollywood studio to finance conservative film projects. He made no firm commitments about investment opportunities.

Some of these started trickling out before the event was over, and Musk could be seen with empty seats throughout the room. He left the venue behind a privacy curtain in a blacked-out SUV as the sun set over the Ohio River.

The motorcade didn't stop when the Guardian asked on the side of the road: “Why don't you take questions from journalists too?”