We’ve come a long way from the days when mogul Elon Musk donated to former President Barack Obama, a Democrat. According to a disclosure released this week, Musk is again putting his significant financial weight (he was the richest man in the world as Friday, per Forbes) behind Republican candidates.
Musk said in a 2022 tweet cited by Fox News that he was pivoting towards the GOP, back before he bought Twitter and turned it into X. In 2024 he reportedly donated to current Republican President Donald Trump and other Republicans. According to NOTUS, he spent hundreds of millions during the 2024 presidential election cycle, making he South Africa-born entrepreneur one of the “most influential political donors” in the U.S.
NBC News reported last year that Musk said he would be spending less on political issues going forward. Last year also brought a “break-up” in a public friendship between Musk and Trump that intensified during the 2024 election. Trump even selected Musk to run the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative before the rift. Musk has also flirted with the idea of establishing his own political party.
Still, The New York Times reported in July that Musk authorized his super PAC (America PAC) to spend up to $120 million to help elect Republicans in November. NOTUS said that Musk’s super PAC spent around $800,000 on House and Senate candidates in battleground states last month alone.
As war in the Middle East continues and inflation continues to impact American voters, Trump’s approval rating has been in a slump as we get closer to the midterm elections. It also looks like Democrats might take seats from the GOP in Congress, based on 270 to Win, disrupting the party’s current control of both chambers as well as the White House.
“Wednesday’s filing covers dozens of independent expenditures made by Musk’s America PAC from Aug. 18 to Aug. 31, with two additional outlays planned for Sept. 10,” said NOTUS. It added that a majority of the spending – more than $700,000 if it – was spent on Senate Republican candidates.
In Texas, where Musk’s Tesla electric vehicle company is headquartered, Musk spent over $247,000 to support state Attorney General Ken Paxton. In Maine, he spent $170,000 for Sen. Susan Collins and in Ohio he spent $105,000 Sen. Jon Husted. There were additional expenditures in New Hampshire, Iowa, Alaska and Michigan, NOTUS reported.
“The super PAC also contributed nearly $90,000 to several House races,” said the outlet. “He dropped $37,500 on races involving Pennsylvania Reps. Scott Perry, Ryan Mackenzie and Rob Bresnahan and $11,000 on Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s race in New Jersey. The super PAC also spent around $10,000 each to boost New York Rep. Mike Lawler and Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden, and the same amount against Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida).”
The Cook Political Report listed several of these races as “toss-up” races in the upcoming election cycle.
When discussing Musk last week with CBS News, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he recently spoke with the mega-billionaire. Johnson also said that “we’re going to win the midterms.”
“Republicans are heading into the midterms with a massive cash advantage, but are struggling to secure advantageous positions in even traditionally Republican states such as Alaska, Iowa, Texas and Ohio, according to Fox News’ Power Rankings,” Fox News reported this week. “Musk opening his pocketbook for the GOP, an eventuality that was once in doubt given his prior split with the president, could provide Republicans with a much-needed lifeline as November approaches.”
