CNN rejected a claim made by Elon Musk — and later flagged by Bill Ackman — that it only covered Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., because the network may have been “tipped off” about the assassination attempt on the then-Republican presidential candidate.
Musk, who heads the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), made the stunning suggestion during an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan over the weekend, wondering why CNN “streamed [the rally] live…which I do not believe they did for any other rally.”
The Tesla boss added that it was “weird” CNN chose to broadcast the rally live given that it was “in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania.”
Ackman, founder of the Manhattan-based hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management, followed up on X: “What are the chances @CNN was tipped off to stream the Butler rally? Why isn’t this worthy of an investigation? It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out who orders the coverage and why.”
He then sought to clarify his post, writing: “I am not suggesting that someone at @CNN knew about the assassination attempt, but it is in the realm of possibility that CNN was advised that something interesting would take place that motivated them to cover the Butler rally, having apparently not streamed other Trump rallies.”
The embattled network shot down his theory, responding to Ackman’s post on X with its own reply.
“CNN provided live coverage of President Trump’s Butler, PA rally in anticipation of news about his pick for Vice President. Any suggestion contrary to that fact is completely false,” the network wrote.
CNN’s public relations department responded to Ackman by writing on X:
“If true, that’s a lead worth pursuing in my view.”
The Post has sought comment from Musk. A rep for Ackman declined to comment.
Trump was shot in the right ear in Butler on July 11 by Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was killed by Secret Service agents.
A second attempt on Trump’s life took place on Sept. 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla., where a suspect named Ryan Wesley Routh was apprehended after being spotted aiming a rifle. No injuries were reported.
These incidents prompted investigations into security lapses, leading to a bipartisan task force that issued recommendations to enhance protective measures for political figures.
