Elon Musk is vowing to inject major momentum into the presidential race by providing substantial support to former President Donald Trump’s electoral prospects, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
On Monday, the outspoken entrepreneur announced a staggering donation of $45 million per month to a super PAC supporting the Trump campaign’s voter outreach. The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk’s significant contribution pledge follows his public endorsement of Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt. Other notable contributors to America PAC include Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale, the Winklevoss twins, former U.S. Ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft, and her husband Joe Craft, CEO of coal producer Alliance Resource Partners, the outlet added.
Since its launch in June, America PAC has been fervently registering voters in key battleground states where President Trump’s lead has grown significantly following Saturday’s shooting. The PAC is actively encouraging Trump supporters to vote early by absentee ballot or mail-in voting, aligning with a key initiative by the Republican National Committee to achieve the same objective nationwide. A source with the PAC told the Journal that their strategy aims to counter Democrats’ historical “get out the vote” advantage in ground operations.
Even by the standards of of American politics and money these days, Musk’s donation marks a staggering increase in the involvement of the ultra-wealthy in influencing elections. With a net worth of around $250 billion, the South African native is by far the world’s richest man, and his promised contributions, if realized, may represent the largest set of donations by an American citizen in the history of U.S. politics.
According to The Journal, America PAC has expanded its staff by hiring hundreds of people in swing states like Pennsylvania. Recent polls indicate that the former president is leading President Joe Biden by 3%. In addition, conflicting polls show that Virginia, a state won by Biden by 10% four years ago, is now being hotly contested.
Musk’s donation represents an abrupt shift from his statements back in March when he said he would withhold financial support from both main presidential candidates this fall. Following the incident in Butler, PA, where a bullet from a high-powered rifle grazed Trump’s ear during a speech, Musk posted on his social media platform X, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.” He added: “Last time America had a candidate this tough was Theodore Roosevelt.”
Former First Lady Melania Trump has issued a statement after her husband was wounded in the assassination attempt that killed at least one rally-goer and injured two others. “I am thinking of you, now, my fellow Americans,” the former first lady wrote in a press release.
“We have always been a unique union. America, the fabric of our gentle nation is tattered, but our courage and common sense must ascend and bring us back together as one. When I watched that violent bullet strike my husband, Donald, I realized my life, and Barron’s life, were on the brink of devastating change,” the statement continued. “I am grateful to the brave secret service agents and law enforcement officials who risked their own lives to protect my husband. To the families of the innocent victims who are now suffering from this heinous act, I humbly offer my sincerest sympathy. Your need to summon your inner strength for such a terrible reason saddens me.”
She went on to describe the shooter, identified as Pennsylvania native Thomas Matthew Crooks, as a “monster who recognized my husband as an inhuman political machine.” She added: “The core facets of my husband’s life – his human side – were buried below the political machine. Donald, the generous and caring man who I have been with through the best of times and the worst of times. Let us not forget that differing opinions, policy, and political games are inferior to love. Our personal, structural, and life commitment – until death – is at serious risk.”
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.