Is Elon Musk speaking at the RNC tonight? Rumors swirl online, at convention

Will tech wizard and megadonor Elon Musk speak at the 2024 Republican National Convention?

He's not on the schedule, but rumors of a surprise appearance from the Tesla CEO, X (formerly Twitter) owner and founder and CEO of SpaceX have been circulating online and at the Firserv Forum in Milwaukee all day.

Rumors on Musk appearance fly on X

Fans have urged him on X. "Americans as well as people worldwide would have been encouraged by this BOLD move on your part!," a user called S. said. "Humanity is hurting right now and your presence would have THRILLED MILLIONS!"

Even one of Musk's (and Trump's) biggest social media supporters, the user known as Catturd, wondered.

"Elon Musk is speaking tonight at the RNC?" Catturd posted Friday morning.

And American AF posted "BREAKING Elon Musk will be speaking at the RNC Convention tonight"

Does Elon Musk support Donald Trump?

Musk recently endorsed former president Donald Trump. Less than an hour after the attempted assassination of Trump at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, Musk posted that he "fully" endorses Trump's presidential campaign.

A few days later, Musk reportedly committed to donating $45 million a month to a political action committee backing Trump's reelection, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this week, Musk donated $100,000 to a GoFundMe to benefit the victims of the shooting and their families.

Will Elon Musk speak at the RNC tonight?

Will Musk take the stage, despite not being on the schedule? The final word, one would think, comes from the man himself. Musk responded today to a post suggesting he might be a guest speaker.

"I'm not speaking at the RNC," he said.

Then again, that was hours ago. Who knows what might have changed since then?

When is Trump speaking? RNC schedule today

Here is a breakdown of Thursday night's RNC speakers per time slot, according to a source familiar with the event. All times are in Eastern time and subject to change. Speakers with Florida ties are highlighted.

6:30 - 7 p.m.

• Sen. Steve Daines, R-MT

• Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC, Chair of National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC)

7 - 7:30 p.m.

• Diane Hendricks

• Diane Evans

• Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration

• Mike Pompeo, former Secretary of State

7:30 - 8 p.m.

• Pastor Lorenzo Sewell

• John Nieporte

• Steve & Zach Witkoff

8 - 8:30 p.m.

• Alina Habba, former President Donald Trump's attorney

• Tucker Carlson, founder of Tucker Carlson Network

8:30 - 9 p.m.

• Carrie Ruiz

• Hulk Hogan, former professional entertainer and wrestler

• Annette Albright

9 - 10 p.m.

• Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

• Eric Trump

• Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship

10-11:30 p.m.

• Former President Donald J. Trump

Where is the RNC live stream?

The RNC is closed to all but delegates, politicians, media members and volunteers, but you can still watch a lot of it on various media platforms and streaming services. USA TODAY is streaming the event on YouTube. You also can stream the RNC on the following channels:

• Amazon Prime

• Direct TV

• Facebook Live

• Rumble

• Twitch

• X, formerly Twitter

Coverage of the convention by television networks will vary slightly. Here’s a breakdown of the major networks and their coverage plans:

• C-SPAN will carry the entire convention uninterrupted for all four days.

• CBS television stations will have live coverage starting at 10 p.m. ET all four days.

• NBC News will broadcast “Decision 2024” live while it streams the program from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• ABC News will broadcast live from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day for four days on its main broadcast network, hosted by David Muir.

• Fox News will air coverage during its regular prime-time lineup of shows, and will broadcast a nightly one-hour special starting at 10 p.m., hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum.

• CNN will air a combination of coverage and analysis each night from 8 p.m. to midnight, anchored by Jake Tapper and Anderson Cooper.

• MSNBC will have coverage from 8 p.m. to midnight on Thursday.

• NewsNation will present “Decision Desk 2024: The Republican National Convention” from 7-12 a.m.

• PBS News will have gavel-to-gavel coverage each day of the convention, with a continuous stream from the main floor.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Elon Musk, will he be a surprise RNC speaker tonight?