The Elon Musk effect: How Donald Trump gained from billionaire’s support

As Donald Trump announced his "great triumph" with the election results coming in, he took a moment to specifically commend one individual who played a significant role in helping him regain his position at the forefront of the country.

“A new star is emerging, Elon,” he remarked during a speech in West Palm Beach, Florida, highlighting his most significant supporter in the presidential race: billionaire Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and X (previously known as Twitter).

Musk has significantly influenced Trump's return, contributing substantial funds to his campaign while also acting as a policy advisor and supporter. He has transformed his social media platform, X, into a prominent voice for the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.

Musk shared on X, "The future is going to be amazing," as it became clear that Trump was set to return to the White House.

The future is looking incredibly promising! Check it out: pic.twitter.com/I46tFsHxs3

Elon Musk posted on Twitter on November 6, 2024.

The billionaire's influence could significantly increase with Trump in office since he once floated the idea of appointing his ally as a "secretary of cost-cutting" in his administration. Analysts have cautioned that Musk, who leads SpaceX, a powerful player in the government defense sector, might find himself in a position of "regulating the regulators."

As things calm down, here’s a summary of how the wealthiest person in the world played a key role in one of the most incredible political revivals ever. What strategies did Musk use to use his wealth and power to elevate Trump’s position, and what were his motivations?

Musk's Donation To Trump's Campaign: How Much?

To clarify, billionaires had a more significant impact on the presidential campaigns for both the Democratic and Republican parties than in previous years. Bill Gates from Microsoft and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg both showed their support for Vice President Kamala Harris. However, it was Elon Musk's diverse backing of Trump that truly influenced the outcome.

According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Musk contributed approximately $132 million to Trump and various Republican candidates as we approach the 2024 election. This information was revealed last month in the FEC's final report before Election Day.

Two of the largest contributions, amounting to $43.6 million and $75 million, were funneled directly into Trump's campaign efforts, particularly into the America PAC (political action committee) that was founded by Musk himself.

In a provocative move, Musk initiated a cash giveaway in important swing states. He offered registered voters the opportunity to win $1 million each day if they signed a petition backing the First and Second Amendments of the US Constitution, which safeguard freedom of speech and the right to own firearms, respectively.

"During a campaign event on October 19, Musk announced that we'll be giving out $1 million every day to randomly selected individuals who have signed the petition, starting now and continuing until the election."

The initiative faced opposition in a Pennsylvania court following a warning from the US Justice Department, which indicated that the group might be violating election laws that prohibit paying individuals to register to vote. Nonetheless, judges decided on Monday that the program could proceed, as Musk's legal team contended that the winners were chosen representatives rather than selected at random.

Currently, Musk is facing a class action lawsuit from voters who allege that he misled them into signing the petition by falsely suggesting they might win the $1 million prize. The lawsuit, initiated by Arizona resident Jacqueline McAferty on Tuesday, also claims that Musk used the giveaway to gather important personal information and attract visitors to X.

FEC reports revealed that Musk donated $10 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee aimed at "defending and growing the Republican Senate majority.” This move could assist the Republicans in regaining control of the Senate in the upcoming election.

Musk is said to have contributed to Republican causes in other ways that haven't been disclosed.

How X Became A MAGA Mouthpiece

It might be hard to believe now, but Elon Musk was once viewed as a progressive supporter of renewable energy, and he even stated that he voted for Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. However, this perception shifted after Musk acquired the social media site Twitter, which he has since renamed X, in 2022.

After committing to transform Twitter into a platform that remains “politically neutral,” Musk dismissed workers who were in charge of keeping track of misinformation. He also reinstated over 62,000 accounts that had been suspended, some of which belonged to white nationalists and neo-Nazis known for promoting hate speech and conspiracy theories.

Importantly, he also lifted the ban on Trump’s account that had been suspended following the January 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, an incident that many believe Trump incited.

As the election approached, observers pointed out that X had essentially turned into an unofficial platform for the MAGA faction of the Republican Party. The owner faced accusations of excessively admiring Trump and disseminating false information to his 200 million followers, with his impact boosted by X's algorithm.

One instance involved the circulation of a manipulated video featuring Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate. The video included a misleading voiceover claiming, “I was chosen because I'm the perfect diversity hire.” In July, Musk shared the video with the comment, “this is amazing,” along with a laughing emoji, resulting in an additional 136 million views for content that was not identified as a spoof.

False information about “illegal immigrants” voting in elections also spread on X. This came even though research from both conservative and liberal groups has demonstrated that such instances are extremely rare, with penalties that can include up to a year in prison, fines, and possibly deportation.

A conspiracy theory suggested that Democrats were bringing in undocumented immigrants and giving them amnesty to expand their voter base for upcoming elections. This idea was allowed to spread on X and was even promoted by Musk himself. In an October post, he stated, “Democratic America would then turn into a one-party, deeply blue socialist state.”

The Democrats have brought in a significant number of undocumented immigrants to key swing states, with increases reaching three digits in the last four years!

They claim their intention is to grant these individuals citizenship as quickly as they can, which would shift all battleground states to the Democratic side.

The United States could transform into a single-party, strongly liberal socialist nation.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 25, 2024

After Trump's televised debate with Harris in September, during which he inaccurately claimed that Haitian immigrants in an Ohio town were resorting to eating pets, Musk shared a meme featuring a cat with a sign reading "Kamala hates me," accompanied by a laughing emoji.

Although Musk has publicly claimed to support free speech, he has stifled certain news pieces. One example is a report by journalist Ken Klippenstein that highlighted vulnerabilities of JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, apparently based on leaked documents. Although the journalist's article was eventually restored, access to its links was restricted.

A survey carried out by the Pew Research Center in March revealed that the platform is gaining traction among Republican supporters. It found that 53 percent believed it was “good for democracy,” which is nearly three times higher than the 17 percent who felt the same way in 2021.

Why Has Musk Joined Forces With Trump?

The combination of their supporters significantly boosted the partnership between Trump and Musk.

Not too long ago, these two weren't on good terms at all. In 2022, Trump referred to Musk as a "bulls**t artist," accusing him of dishonesty regarding his support during the 2016 election. In response, Musk took to Twitter, suggesting it was “time for Trump to step aside and ride off into the sunset.”

Two years later, the tech billionaire stood alongside Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, sporting a black MAGA hat.

Musk's shift towards more conservative views is often linked to the government's decision to shut down his Tesla production facilities during the COVID-19 crisis. In 2020, he decided to restart operations at a factory in Fremont, California, stating that he was prepared to face arrest as he protested against the "bureaucratic system."

His shift toward the right has become evident in his connections with leaders who oppose regulation, including Argentina's President Javier Milei. Musk has also formed strong ties with various conservative leaders around the world, such as Giorgia Meloni from Italy, Narendra Modi from India, and Benjamin Netanyahu from Israel.

Several American media sources, including Vanity Fair and the Washington Post, have highlighted a more profound reason behind his actions. This motivation seems to stem from one of his children coming out as transgender in 2022, which led to a break in their relationship and a decision to change their last name to Wilson. In a conversation with Jordan Peterson, Musk stated that he felt he had been deceived into approving his child's medical treatment. He has since declared a campaign against what he refers to as the "woke mind virus."

In 2021, Musk relocated Tesla's main office from Palo Alto, California, in Silicon Valley to Austin, Texas, and he also moved his home from California to Texas. In July of this year, Musk announced that he planned to transfer SpaceX and X from California to Texas in response to a law that prohibits schools from requiring teachers to inform parents if a child decides to change their gender identity.

How Has Musk Helped Trump Connect With Young Men?

Analysts argue that Musk and Trump, who portray themselves as unconventional, rebellious figures or "alpha males," seem to resonate with a significant feeling of frustration among men in America. This sentiment stems in part from the #MeToo movement and the feminist criticism of "toxic masculinity," leading many men to express feelings of shame and alienation.

In a recent article for the New York Times, John Della Volpe, who leads polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, described Trump's strategy to capture the young male vote as an impressive example of effective communication with that demographic. It seems that his efforts to connect with this group have been successful: a new Harvard Youth Poll indicates that 35% of men aged 18 to 24 surveyed expressed support for Trump, marking a five percent increase from a similar poll conducted in 2020.

This feeling has been reflected in various "bro" podcasts, like the Joe Rogan Experience. After chatting with Musk, Rogan voiced his support for Trump on Monday. He tweeted, “The amazing and influential @elonmusk. Without him, we’d really be in trouble. He presents what I believe is the best argument for Trump you’ll come across, and I completely back him on that.”

The message clearly struck a chord.

Just two days later, Trump was voted in as the 47th president of the United States.