What Is The 'Elon Musk Jumping' Meme And Why Is He Being Mocked Online? The Viral Moment From Trump's Rally Explained

Over the weekend, a picture of Elon Musk jumping up into the air awkwardly became a viral sensation online.

Across platforms such as TikTok, X / Twitter, Reddit and more, various posts, memes and Photoshop edits were made featuring not only the jump from Elon Musk, but the reaction of those around him.

But why did this picture go viral, and what does this have to do with Donald Trump and his run for president in the upcoming election?

Let's explain and dig into the latest viral Elon Musk meme and how people are using it for jokes online.

What Is 'Elon Musk Jumping' And Where Did The Moment Originate From?

On October 5th, 2024, former President Donald Trump returned to Butler, Pennsylvania for a rally where he notably had the first attempt on his life earlier that year.

At the political event, Elon Musk, appearing as a guest to endorse Trump, proceeded to jump up into the air while wearing a black "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) hat, creating the photo as it was quickly snapped by members of the press and shared on the internet.

How Is 'Elon Musk Jumping' Used In Memes?

The image of Elon Musk jumping was then perceived by many as "awkward" or "humorous" and quickly became used in memes across the internet as people began to post it in conjunction with the image of Donald Trump seemingly looking upset and unhappy at the shenanigans performed by Musk.

This led to redraw edits of the expressions being made and some people doing various types of image macros with it. Additionally, the photo of Musk up in the air with a funny-looking expression on his face became an exploitable meme format that was edited into a range of humorous imagery.

The Other Elon Musk Jump Meme

Interestingly, this incident in early October 2024 marked the second time that Elon Musk had a viral moment and meme due to his jumping while appearing on stage during an event.

On June 13th, 2024, Musk took part in the annual Tesla shareholder meeting, where he proceeded to do another on-stage jump, which also became used in different viral images and memes about him being "tortured," which ultimately came to be known as "Elon Musk Awkward Jump Torture Edits."

For the full history of the Elon Musk Jumping meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.