Reflecting on his time taking a wrecking ball to the government last year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently confessed to The Economist that he believes he “got a little too involved in politics, got carried away, frankly.” But not so carried away, apparently, so as to deter him from trying again.
Axios, citing sources with knowledge of the plan, reported that Musk is “jumping into the midterms with a huge investment in a plan to boost Republican voter turnout.” He’s doing that by “resuscitating his dormant super PAC, America PAC, which spent more than $260 million to help get President Trump elected in 2024.” (An America PAC spokesperson told Axios that “we’re excited to again be part of the team.”) Musk’s backing of the operation gave him the plutocratic distinction of being the single-biggest political donor in a political cycle in American history.
Even as Musk seeks to boost the fortunes of the GOP, he also comes with potential political costs.
But that doesn’t mean his money will be as effective this time around. Musk has revealed himself since then to be erratic and frequently self-defeating in his political maneuvering. And given that his favorability has tanked and is underwater, he provides Democrats with a ready-made villain in the election cycle.
So far, Musk has reportedly authorized America PAC to spend $100 million to $120 million. But it cannot be assumed that the commitment is rock solid, nor should we expect that it will necessarily rise to match the amount he committed in 2024. He has shown himself to be a fickle friend, and he might not be as invested in the outcome as before.
Last year Musk and Trump had a tumultuous relationship as chummy pals, then enemies and then, perhaps, awkward frenemies. Trump rewarded Musk by putting him in charge of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which caused chaos by disrupting agencies, including the Social Security Administration, and entirely dismantling them for distributing international aid. Then, after DOGE failed to achieve its goal of cutting federal spending, Musk abruptly slunk off from the White House.
Zeeshan Aleem
Zeeshan Aleem is a writer and editor for MS NOW. He primarily writes about politics and foreign policy.
