「西洋文明の運命」はトランプ氏の再選次第 マスク氏

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】世界一の大富豪イーロン・マスク氏は１７日、米大統領選の激戦州ペンシルべニアで、５夜にわたって共和党候補ドナルド・トランプ前大統領を応援するイベントを開始し、「西洋文明の運命」はトランプ氏の再選にかかっていると訴えた。（写真はドナルド・トランプ前米大統領の選挙集会に登壇した実業家のイーロン・マスク氏〈右〉。ペンシルベニア州バトラーで）
　マスク氏はフィラデルフィア郊外フォルソムで開いた対話型集会で、「ペンシルベニア州がこの選挙の要であることは、いくら強調してもし過ぎることはない」「そしてこの選挙は米国の運命だけでなく、西洋文明の運命をも決するものになると思う」と主張した。
　マスク氏によれば、このイベントには、大統領選の期日前投票を済ませ、「言論の自由と武器所持の権利を支持する」嘆願書に署名すれば誰でも参加できる。
　来月５日の大統領選投票日まで３週間を切る中、トランプ氏は民主党候補のカマラ・ハリス副大統領と接戦を繰り広げている。
　７月にトランプ氏支持を表明したマスク氏は、ジョー・バイデン政権を痛烈に批判し、不法移民や選挙不正に関する極右の誤情報を頻繁に拡散している。
　「移民賛成派」を自称するマスク氏は、イベント初夜の大半を費やして犯罪と国境警備について語り、南部国境の現状を映画『ワールド・ウォー Ｚ（Ｗｏｒｌｄ Ｗａｒ Ｚ）』になぞらえ、「ゾンビによる世界の終末」と呼んだ。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/10/18-18:27）

Elon Musk warned Thursday that the fate of Western civilization depends on Donald Trump returning to office as the tech billionaire launched five nights of campaign events for the White House candidate in the key swing state of Pennsylvania.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has emerged as a major voice in US politics but is accused of turning the social media platform Twitter, now known as X, into a megaphone for right-wing conspiracy theories since acquiring it in 2022.
I can't emphasize enough that Pennsylvania is, I think, the lynchpin in this election, he said at a town hall event in Folsom, on the outskirts of Philadelphia.
And this election, I think, is going to decide the fate of America and, along with the fate of America, the fate of Western civilization.
Musk, the world's richest man, announced that his events would be free to attend for anyone who had voted early in the presidential election and signed a petition supporting free speech & right to bear arms.
Trump is in a knife-edge election against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, less than three weeks ahead of Election Day.
Musk, who endorsed Trump in July, is one of the Biden administration's fiercest critics and frequently spreads far-right misinformation about undocumented immigrants and voter fraud.
Describing himself as pro-immigrant, Musk spent much of his opening night in Pennsylvania complaining about crime and border security, saying the southern frontier looks like World War Z, okay -- it's like zombie apocalypse.
Republicans have complained for years about anti-conservative bias on social media, often citing Trump's 2021 suspensions and pre-Musk X -- then known as Twitter -- blocking users from linking to a newspaper article critical of Joe Biden's son.
Musk, though, has taken an increasingly visible role in Trump's campaign, accompanying him on stage at a recent rally in Pennsylvania and frequently lambasting Harris.
The billionaire has donated almost $75 million to his political organization America PAC, set up to help Trump back into office, and has promised residents in swing states $47 for each registered voter who signs his petition.
Trump has made a point of praising the 53-year-old during multiple campaign events this week, after tapping the tycoon to run a committee tasked with slashing government bureaucracy and waste if the Republican nominee wins the election.
Trump has largely handed off his grassroots get-out-the-vote push to Musk's America PAC in Pennsylvania and the other swing states expected to determine the election.
Rolling Stone reported this week that Republicans have voiced fears that the organization is making a mess of the job, with a relatively small presence on the ground despite its massive spending.