Elon Musk to spend election night with Donald Trump

Elon Musk, the wealthiest person on the planet, announced on X/Twitter that he intended to spend election night with Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Mr. Musk, the head of Tesla and X, has actively supported the Republican candidate in key battleground states throughout the nation.

Trump's campaign is organizing a viewing event at the Palm Beach Convention Center, where thousands of his supporters will gather.

The tech billionaire has become a key supporter of Trump, contributing over $119 million (£91.6 million) this election cycle to America PAC, a political action committee he established to aid the former president.

Earlier this year, Mr. Musk expressed his backing for the former president, even though he had previously stated in 2022 that "it’s time for Trump to retire and fade away."

On Tuesday, he shared a picture of himself indicating that he cast his vote in Cameron County, Texas, where several of his businesses are based, before traveling to Florida.

Later that evening, he posted on X, "Victory achieved."

On Tuesday night, the campaign exuded a sense of optimism as fans came together at Trump's headquarters in the Palm Beach convention center to await the outcomes. At one moment, the attendees spontaneously started dancing to the song YMCA.

The crowd erupted in loud cheers when Florida was announced as a win for Trump, though it was a victory that everyone expected.

Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard showed up at the gathering after having been at Trump's more private watch party at Mar-a-Lago earlier.

“There were many enthusiastic individuals present,” who felt “hopeful but careful,” she shared with the BBC.

Steve Witkoff, a close associate of Trump, was present at Mar-a-Lago as well. He mentioned that there was a " palpable sense of enthusiasm and direction" in the air.

Among the attendees was Blake Marnell, known for his distinctive brick-patterned suit that he regularly donned at Trump rallies, showing his backing for Trump's unproven pledge to construct a wall along the southern border. He expressed a strong sense of optimism regarding his candidate's prospects.

Sergio Ramirez, a businessman from El Salvador, stated that Trump would only be defeated if the Democrats resorted to "cheating." He added, "I don’t see how she has a chance—Kamala wasn’t a well-liked candidate."

Michael, wearing a “Blacks for Trump 2024” shirt, asserts, “We had more people voting early, and we still have more people here now.”

At a formal event taking place at the Hilton hotel next door, Iowa Republican delegate Deborah Yanna expressed her excitement, saying it felt like "Christmas morning." She stated, "When President Trump returns to the White House, he will bring back the shine to America."

In another location, Steve Bannon, who was the chief strategist during Trump's presidency, is organizing an election watch party this evening at the Willard Hotel. This upscale five-star hotel in Washington, D.C., was previously used as a "command center" by Trump supporters trying to contest the outcome of the 2020 election.

Bannon was freed from federal prison a week ago, where he spent four months for disrespecting the US Congress.

Kamala Harris plans to spend election night at Howard University, where she studied and which is a historically black university located in Washington, D.C.