In the wake of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally, Elon Musk is considering drastic measures to bolster his security. Hours after the shooting, tech and cybersecurity blog Whole Mars Catalog urged Musk to enhance his security. Musk’s response was intriguing: “Maybe it’s time to build that flying metal suit of armor.”
This suggestion, reminiscent of the Iron Man character, was not entirely new. Musk fan and prolific X-poster Ian Miles Cheong also emphasized the need for heightened security, warning that if an attempt could be made on Trump, Musk might be next. Musk revealed that he had already survived two assassination attempts in the past eight months, with both perpetrators arrested while armed.
“Dangerous times ahead,” Musk remarked, underscoring the seriousness of the threat.
Musk has flirted with the idea of an Iron Man-esque supersuit before. In 2021, he met with engineer and inventor Dylan Lange Edminston, who had developed a prototype flying suit. However, it remains unclear if Musk pursued the concept further. Neither Musk nor Edminston responded to requests for comments.
Interestingly, Musk has long been associated with the Iron Man persona. Mark Fergus, a writer for Marvel Studios’ 2008 film Iron Man, cited Musk as an inspiration for the character. Musk even made a cameo in the 2010 sequel.
Musk has been outspoken in his support of the former president since the attempted assassination of the former president. He compared Trump to the late President Theodore Roosevelt, denounced the way the Secret Service handled the situation, and demanded the resignation of the agency’s director. Musk posted on the situation on a regular basis, expressing frustration over the lack of transparency around the shooter, and conjectured about probable deliberate incompetence.
Moreover, Musk criticized mainstream media coverage, particularly targeting the Wall Street Journal. He called for a complete overhaul of the publication after it reported on divisions following the shooting.
In a political twist, sources informed Bloomberg that Musk donated to America PAC, a super PAC working to elect Trump. The exact amount remains unknown, but filings are expected to be released soon.