Elon Musk’s Influence on 2024 Election Grows, Backing Trump Significantly
Since the beginning of this year, Elon Musk has leveraged his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), to reach approximately 3.3 billion views by sparking discussions around election security issues, placing him as one of the most prominent voices on election-related topics in the 2024 campaign.
An analysis by CBS News found that “of nearly 17,000 of Musk’s posts from this year, as well as thousands more he replied to or reposted, 361 posts specifically addressed potential election fraud in U.S. elections.” Although these posts represent a smaller portion of his daily content, each generated an average of 9.3 million views as Musk maintains his position as the most-followed profile on X.
Musk’s influence on X has sparked concern among liberals, who worry his platform’s reach could benefit former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
CBS News also reported, “The tech entrepreneur said that he voted Republican for the first time in a Texas congressional race in June 2022. A month later, he mentioned that it was time ‘for Trump to hang up his hat.’ Over the next two years, Musk’s posts became more critical of President Biden, while he voiced increased support for Trump.”
The report continued, “On July 13, 2024, the day of the first attempted assassination of Trump, Musk announced his formal endorsement of the Republican candidate for a second term. Since then, his posts have shown full-throated support for Trump.”
Musk has become a prominent Republican “megadonor,” contributing $75 million to a pro-Trump superPAC he established over recent months, according to financial disclosures reviewed by Reuters.
The group, America PAC, is dedicated to mobilizing voters in critical battleground states, spending roughly $72 million from July to September, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures. This expenditure surpasses that of any other pro-Trump superPAC focusing on voter mobilization efforts, which play a crucial role as the Trump campaign relies heavily on external groups for canvassing support.
Tesla CEO Musk was the sole donor to America PAC during this period. Although he has supported Democratic presidential candidates in the past, he shifted his stance for this election, endorsing Trump in July and joining him at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month.
In a recent post on X, Musk announced plans to hold “a series of talks” across Pennsylvania, noting that attendees can join by signing a petition on his America PAC website, with events scheduled “from tomorrow night through Monday.”
Reuters also reported that Musk plans to expand his support efforts for Trump in Pennsylvania, a critical battleground state for both Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.
With these contributions, Musk joins the ranks of influential Republican mega-donors like banking heir Timothy Mellon and casino mogul Miriam Adelson. However, Reuters reported Musk’s financial support for conservative causes predates his public endorsement of Trump.
America PAC aims to galvanize “low-propensity” Trump supporters who typically don’t vote, utilizing an intensive grassroots strategy. This high-stakes approach has faced challenges, with the PAC struggling to secure enough canvassers in key states due to its late start and other PACs having already hired much of the available labor.
The group had approximately $4 million left by the end of September, according to recent filings.
In the same period, filings revealed that Miriam Adelson, casino magnate, contributed $95 million to another pro-Trump superPAC, Preserve America PAC, Reuters reported.