Staff Reports
Elon Musk, the hapless mega-billionaire who seems to change his mind more than a weather vane in a windstorm, has decided to toss a whopping $75 million into the proverbial MAGA hat. Since July, filings with the Federal Election Commission reveal that Musk has made a measurable and undeniable shift toward supporting former President Donald Trump and his pro-Trump America PAC, proving that sometimes, money does indeed talk. In this case, it’s shouting “MAGA!” at the top of its lungs.
Having previously announced he wouldn’t contribute to either presidential contender, Musk’s about-face could make even the most seasoned politician dizzy. He launched the American PAC back in May with a mission focused solely on pumping up voter turnout in key battleground states, possibly thinking it would yield a few more favorably engineered tweets in the future. His first face-to-face rally with Trump in Pennsylvania showed a striking marriage between Silicon Valley clout and blue-collar Americana, catching more than a few political onlookers off guard.
Elon Musk Has Given $75 Million To Pro-Trump Super PAC—So Far pic.twitter.com/tV1EAcqHs3
— Patriot Pointman 🇺🇸 (@PatriotPointman) October 16, 2024
Musk certainly hasn’t been shy about his wallet. The $75 million has come in waves, with over $14 million laid down in July alone. August saw an infusion of $30 million, followed by another hefty $30 million in September, making one wonder if the Tesla founder is playing a high-stakes game of political poker. The treasuries of his PAC still had nearly $4 million left in the bank as of the end of September, a sign that Musk isn’t just throwing cash around like confetti at a parade; there’s strategy at play here.
This week, he’s pulling a mini-tour through Pennsylvania, giving talks that anyone can attend—provided they’ve signed a petition supporting free speech and Second Amendment rights and have already cast their votes. It seems Musk is not just endorsing Trump vocally; he’s putting his money where his mouth is and making sure to cultivate the grassroots support that could tip the scales in this next election. At a recent rally, he boldly declared that the impending election could very well be the last if Trump doesn’t win, demonstrating that the high stakes Musk currently believes are on the table.
An interesting tidbit from the ever-evolving Musk-Trump relationship is Trump’s suggestion of a newly formed role in a potential second administration: the Secretary of Cost-Cutting. This could raise some eyebrows in Washington, but it might be one of the most sensible suggestions to come from the former president since his last tweet. After all, if Musk is good at anything besides making electric cars and exploring space, it’s finding efficient ways to cut costs—making him a logical pick for such a unique position. That’s bound to ruffle feathers among career government bureaucrats accustomed to the status quo.
All in all, this political pivot shows Musk’s willingness to play the long game. And while some may scoff at his methods or question his motives, there’s no denying that he is putting hefty resources behind a movement that’s always been more about the people than the politics. Whether it turns the tide for the Trump campaign remains to be seen, but for now, it looks like Musk has swapped out his social media fascinators for a red MAGA cap, fully embracing the “Dark MAGA” ethos.
