Will Elon Musk be Trump's most influential supporter?
Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO, has had a long-standing affection for Donald Trump's populist views. Now, he is openly supporting him with $45 million monthly.
"I fully support President Trump and hope for his swift recovery." With this statement, which Musk posted on Twitter on Saturday after the attempted attack on the Republican on "X," the Tesla CEO made it clear where he stands in the US election. Musk wants Trump to win in November. For this, he is putting everything on the line, whatever he has to offer.
This tweet marked the beginning of an astonishing support campaign for Trump that Musk started this week. The tech mogul intends to pump $45 million monthly into Trump's re-election through a fund. Several conservative Silicon Valley friends of Musk are also investing. With this, Musk could become the largest individual donor to Trump's campaign.
However, Musk is not just Trump's biggest financial supporter this week. He could also become Trump's most influential opinion maker and his ideas. For months, Trump feared that Taylor Swift could recommend Joe Biden to her more than 500 million followers. Now, he has a social media star on his team. 2.3 million people have liked Musk's Saturday tweet so far. Trump has almost 190 million followers on X. It is expected that Musk will not only financially, but also medially support his candidate in the campaign.
Musk has been inclined towards Trump for a long time. But he kept it to sympathizing with Trump's ideas. Now, the Tesla boss is openly aligning himself with the right-wing populist. His engagement appears to be a cool calculated investment strategy that should pay off for his business interests if Trump is re-elected as US President.
The "Oldie" and the "Bullshit Artist" clash again
The alliance between Trump and Musk has been long anticipated: The takeover of Twitter, which was less a business decision for Musk than a political heart project to preserve the free speech of right-wing activists, found favor among Trump supporters. Since Musk's involvement, his tweets have become increasingly Trump-friendly, fueling fears of illegal immigration and pushing conspiracy theories about the great population exchange.
Trump had met with Musk in March to pump him up because he was in massive financial trouble due to his ongoing legal proceedings. At that time, Musk still did not want to play the white knight with thick checks for him. Now, it seems, he has changed his mind.
However, the two men had long been at odds: In Trump's first term, Musk sat in two advisory committees but left after Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement. When Musk wanted to take over Twitter in 2022, but then made a U-turn, both publicly insulted each other online. Trump called Musk a "Bullshit Artist" and insinuated that Musk's companies were worthless without state subsidies, that his rockets would fly nowhere, and that his cars wouldn't go far enough. Trump was too old for a second term and should "hang up his hat and sail into the sunset," Musk retorted. Exactly the accusation that Trump and his supporters now make against Biden.
In the last few months, it appears that both have repaired their relationship. At the end of May, the "Wall Street Journal" reported that Musk and Trump have been calling each other regularly and Trump is now considering Musk for an advisory role again. It was reported in further US media that Musk advises Trump on cryptocurrencies and a speech at the current Republican Party convention was also discussed.
Musk has denied all these reports - but with his massive engagement for Trump, he is now fueling speculation that he could rise to one of Trump's closest advisors in a possible second Trump administration. His denials are no longer credible: As early as March, Musk had loudly declared on X that "I am not donating any money to any presidential candidate."
Corruption at the highest level of government
That Musk, despite personal aversion, is now making up with Trump and financially and media-wise embracing him, indicates that he is not only acting out of political conviction, but that he is betting on the right horse where the wind may turn in the USA. Trump's chances have risen since the assassination attempt. Musk invests to win: His donations to Trump are political capital that he can withdraw in a possible second term of Trump - to the benefit of his own wallet.
Soon, Musk could not only be the biggest supporter, but also the biggest beneficiary of Trump. For a long time, Musk has seen the interests of Tesla, SpaceX or X being neglected by the Biden administration. He hopes that this will change under a new Trump regime.
The chances are good. Trump is openly open to backroom deals between corporations and politics: According to the "New York Times," Trump offered oil waivers to lift environmental regulations that hampered their business during a discreet dinner at his Mar-a-Lago golf club in June. Blatant corruption in the highest government circles has never been a problem for Trump, as the mass overnight stays of foreign governments in his hotels, billions from Saudi Arabia for the investment fund of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, or secret payments from abroad for his inauguration committee show.
Musk reportedly asked for favors during Trump's first term. Trump himself wrote on his social network Truth Social in 2022: "When Elon Musk came to the White House and asked me for help with his many subsidized projects [...] I could have said: Fall on your knees and beg and he would have done it." This time, Musk apparently had something to offer Trump in return for the requested help.
- Following his public endorsement of Donald Trump on Twitter, Elon Musk's financial support for Trump's re-election campaign in the 2024 United States Presidency Election has intensified, with Musk pledging $45 million each month and encouraging other Silicon Valley associates to do the same.
- With his significant financial backing and influential social media platform, Elon Musk could significantly impact the 2024 United States Presidency Election campaign, potentially becoming a key opinion shaper for Donald Trump, who is heavily reliant on such support in his bid for a second term.
