Tech mogul Elon Musk, who previously stated he would remain neutral in the presidential election, has contributed to a pro-Trump super PAC, Bloomberg reports. Details on the exact sum Musk donated are not disclosed, but it is referred to as a “sizable amount.” This donation marks a notable shift in Musk’s earlier stance of not supporting any candidate.
The PAC is required to release the names of the second quarter donors July 15, Bloomberg reported. America PAC, known as the largest spender on voter contacts among pro-Trump external groups, has allocated $15.8 million towards its campaign efforts, according to federal records. Of this, $13.1 million has been directed towards field operations. Additionally, the PAC has invested in digital media, texting, and phone calls to engage with voters.
Musk has not explicitly endorsed Trump but has become a vocal critic of President Biden and the Democratic Party. He recently called House Democrats “traitors” after most of them refused to support a bill that would impose stricter restrictions on noncitizen voting. That said, Musk and Trump have developed a friendship behind the scenes, indicating they will continue to exchange power, status, and regular phone calls, regardless of the November elections’ outcome.
During Tesla’s annual stockholders’ meeting in Texas, Musk mentioned that he gets unexpected calls from the former president. While he isn’t sure about the purpose of these calls yet, Musk believes that Trump values his contributions to the automotive industry.
“I have had some conversations with him and he does call me out of the blue for no reason. I don’t know why, but he does, and it’s like he’s very nice when he calls, and I was like, ‘You know, I think electric cars are pretty good for America and the future. Tesla’s the leader in electric cars, you know,’ Musk recalled to his audience, drawing laughs. “I think a lot of his friends now have Teslas and they all love it, and he’s a huge fan of the Cybertruck, so I think those may be contributing factors.”
WATCH:
ELON MUSK ON DONALD TRUMP: “He does call me out of the blue for no reason… he’s very nice when he calls…. I think a lot of his friends now have Teslas — He’s a huge fan of the Cybertruck.”
— ALX ?? (@alx) June 14, 2024
Despite slowing electric vehicle (EV) sales in America and Western economies, Tesla continues to thrive with its innovative technology and a dedicated following that remains loyal to Musk, despite setbacks such as the recent recall of most Cybertrucks on the road.
President Trump is a big fan of SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company, and he often watches the rockets during liftoff. He hopes that Musk will accelerate America’s leadership in outer space. Logan Paul interviewed Trump for his podcast this week and got him to admit his enthusiasm for the eccentric billionaire.
“He’s a terrific [guy]. You know, I looked at the spaceship that went up… and I never saw this before. This is like two years ago. I see the motors coming down, the engines coming down, no wings, no anything. I say what is going on? Nobody ever saw that before,” Trump said glowingly. “If you didn’t have him you probably wouldn’t be seeing it.”
“So I called him and said what’s this? And he said, ‘Well, we want to be able to reuse the engines.’ I said they don’t have wings, they don’t have anything and they’re landing on a platform in the middle of the ocean. I said, how cool is it? I thought I’d seen it all. He’s a spectacular guy,” Trump added.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.