Billionaire Elon Musk today spoke on the first presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris and said that while Harris "exceeded expectations", Trump would be "more effective in getting things done".
On his social media platform X, Musk wrote, "While I don't think the debate hosts were fair to [Donald Trump], [Kamala Harris] exceeded most people's expectations tonight."
"When it comes to getting things done, not just saying nice-sounding words, I strongly believe that Trump will do a far better job," he added.
Elon Musk also took a jab at the Biden administration, suggesting that Vice President Harris is "basically in charge already" due to Biden's frequent absences.
“If Kamala can do great things, why hasn't she?,” he said, adding that Biden "rarely shows up for work, so she's basically in charge already".
“Do you want current trends to continue for 4 more years or do you want change?”
In a separate post, he said "we will never reach Mars if Kamala wins".
"Unless there is significant government reform, laws and regulations will keep getting worse every year until every great endeavor, from high-speed rail between our cities to making life multiplanetary, is effectively illegal. Trump supports a government efficiency commission to allow great things to be done, Kamala does not," he wrote.
Elon Musk has endorsed Trump, and in return, the former President has pledged to set up a government commission that could give the tech billionaire significant responsibilities in auditing federal spending and regulations. This move strengthens their pre-election alliance, with Mr Musk potentially leading the commission if Trump wins a second term.
The first presidential debate saw both Trump and Harris clash on key issues like the economy, abortion and foreign policy. In the 90-minute session, Trump criticised the Biden administration's handling of the economy and foreign policy, while Harris defended their achievements and attacked Trump's controversial immigration reforms and past foreign policy decisions.
Following the debate, singer Taylor Swift made headlines by endorsing Kamala Harris. She embraced the "Childless Cat Lady" label, a term used by Trump's running mate JD Vance to disparage women without children. The singer declared she was voting for Harris because she is a "steady-handed, gifted leader" who fights for Ms Swift's believed causes.
In response to Taylor Swift's endorsement, Mr Musk, who is backing Trump, made a comment on X, offering to give the singer a child and protect her cats. “Fine Taylor … you win … I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life,” the billionaire wrote.
Tuesday's debate saw Kamala Harris launch scathing attacks on Donald Trump, calling him a "convicted felon", "friend of dictators" and accusing him of using "race to divide the American people". Trump accused her of borrowing campaign ideas from Joe Biden and labelling her a "Marxist".
After the first presidential debate, the Democratic candidate swiftly challenged Donald Trump to a second face-off.