Elon Musk on Tuesday (Feb 18) revealed that the assassination attempt on US President Donald Trump's life played a huge role in his endorsement of the Republican leader.

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During an interview on Fox News' The Sean Hannity Show, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief said the Butler assassination attempt was "the precipitating event".

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Butler assassination attempt

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On July 13, 2024, Trump, who was back then vying for another stint in the White House, was shot at in an alleged assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

The 78-year-old had multiple shots fired at him by a 20-year-old man, identified by the FBI as Thomas Mathew Crook. The shooter fired eight rounds from an AR-15-style rifle from the roof of a nearby building.

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While Trump escaped the assassination attempt with only a minor wound as his right ear was grazed by the first bullet or a fragment, one audience member was killed, and two others were critically injured in the shooting.

As Hannity put it, Trump "came within a millimetre of being assassinated."

The incident, which could've easily turned tragic, gave birth to an iconic picture of Trump pumping his fist in the air, shouting "fight, fight, fight," with blood streaming down his face.

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Musk said that even though he was already planning on endorsing the Republican, this "speeded it up a little bit."

Appearing pleased by Musk's revelation, Trump just said: "Nice. I didn’t know that." 

"Well, I mean this is how you know someone's true character, because everyone can say they're brave, but the president was actually shot. Okay? Courage under fire. 'Fight, fight, fight,' blood streaming down the face. That's true courage. You can't fake that," stated Musk.