In the political race for the White House, all available resources and personnel are used. Unlike European election campaigns, where the public support of prominent figures from public life (scientists, journalists, athletes, musicians, actors) is not decisive (in fact, sometimes it is even mocked), in the U.S., it plays a very important role. The reason lies in the specificity of American political culture, especially in election campaigns and rallies, which have all the characteristics of show business. Not only must presidential or congressional candidates shine in front of cameras and photographers, but it also matters which famous people support them.
Americans adore celebrities, and their opinions influence a large number of voters. Although celebrity opinions should rank low when choosing a candidate on the ballot, many fans vote for the candidates endorsed by their favorite singer, actor, or scientist. In recent times, especially since Donald Trump entered politics in 2015, American celebrities, media outlets, and leading civil society organizations have regularly supported Democratic Party candidates. This is also the case in the current election campaign, where Kamala Harris enjoys the support of the American (deep) state. However, there are exceptions.
The most significant of them is the world's richest person and most successful entrepreneur, 53-year-old Elon Reeve Musk. After months of expressing pro-Trump views, the South African-American businessman openly endorsed Trump on July 13, following the failed assassination attempt on Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At the time, he posted on X: "I fully support President Trump and wish him a speedy recovery." The tech billionaire is contributing so much to the campaign that Trump openly calls him a friend. Moreover, Musk has not only expressed his support but has actively joined the campaign, and a position in the government awaits him if Trump triumphs.
Musk’s Business Empire
It is difficult to track the evolution of Musk's business empire due to frequent acquisitions and sales. Currently, he owns six companies. The three most famous are Tesla, Inc. (a company promoting electric vehicles and other renewable energy-based devices), SpaceX (a space company), and X Corp. (a technology company that owns X – formerly Twitter). Musk also owns The Boring Company, which deals with infrastructure and equipment, the neurotechnology company Neuralink, and the artificial intelligence company xAI Corp.
Estimates suggest that Musk's business empire is worth around $250 billion, placing him as the richest person on Earth. He has repeatedly stated that he does not care about money and doesn’t even know how much he has. At the end of 2020, he announced that he would sell all his luxury mansions, which he did. He recently moved into a simple foldable modular house worth $50,000. It is clear that money is not the driving force behind Musk's political engagement. If it were, he would have remained neutral in the election or, like 90% of the most influential American celebrities, supported Kamala Harris, the candidate of the Democratic Party—or better said, the candidate of the American establishment. While it is true that some of Musk's companies are closely tied to the U.S. government—SpaceX as a supplier to NASA—this is not the main reasons why Musk supports Trump. He once leaned toward the Democrats but has made a shift.
A Disillusioned Democrat Supporter
Musk became a U.S. citizen in 2002 and supported the Democratic Party in elections from 2008 to 2020. Ahead of the 2016 election, he stated that Trump was "not the right guy" for the presidency. However, when Trump won, Musk became part of Trump's Innovation and Strategy Council, which included leading businessmen. This was an opportunity for him to stay close to the government and secure influence over key policies affecting his companies. Although he did not always agree with Trump's views on climate change and global trade, participation in the council allowed his voice to be heard.
Their relationship dramatically cooled when Trump announced the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement in 2017. Musk was a vocal advocate for fighting climate change and green energy, and he considered the move a huge mistake. After Trump’s announcement, Musk publicly criticized the decision and resigned from the advisory council. Despite their disagreements, Trump's administration supported Musk in certain aspects of his business. SpaceX benefited from government contracts during Trump's tenure, especially in military projects and NASA initiatives. Trump was interested in strengthening American leadership in space, which aligned with Musk's ambitions to make humanity multiplanetary by launching missions to Mars.
Motives for Political Engagement
By all accounts, Musk became an honest and passionate supporter of the Republican Party and Donald Trump when he began paying closer attention to socio-political developments and simultaneously became powerful enough that the American deep state could not seriously harm him or his business empire. One could say that politics on his doorstep forced Musk to become politically active. He clashed with the Biden administration in 2021 when Tesla was not invited to an electric vehicle summit, despite its renowned status in the auto industry. Musk’s companies came under scrutiny from federal investigators over worker relations. Biden’s administration also upset Musk with decisions about income tax hikes, the lack of state incentives, COVID restrictions, and other regulations.
During his business dealings, Musk realized that the Democratic Party he supported was not doing what he wanted, motivating him to take a deeper look at U.S. domestic and foreign policies. In May 2022, he announced that he would support Republicans in the upcoming elections, adding that the Democrats had "become the party of division and hate." In June, he supported Mayra Flores in a special Texas congressional election, and in November, he backed Ron DeSantis in the Republican primaries. In September 2023, Musk visited the U.S.-Mexico border on a citizen journalism mission and was shocked by the waves of illegal immigrants entering the U.S., comparing it to the zombie apocalypse depicted in the film "World War Z." In November, he stated he would not vote for Biden, though he had not yet publicly endorsed Trump, which he did in July this year.
Political Views
Musk and Trump agree on almost all important political issues. Both oppose illegal immigration, the LGBT agenda, gender ideology, and woke culture, abortion. On the other hand, they downplay the dangers of climate change, advocate for free speech, deregulation of the economy, lower taxes, a reduction in the number of public officials, and support the right to bear arms and the death penalty. They want a strong America with a strong president that should be respected globally in line with the "America First" agenda. Both believe that Harris is a radical leftist who should not be allowed to take power and that voter fraud in America is an endemic issue.
In recent years, Musk has frequently commented on foreign policy. In 2021, he supported the Chinese state model because it "brings economic prosperity." Regarding Ukraine, in October 2022, he proposed a UN-supervised referendum on the status of pro-Russian areas, with Ukraine remaining neutral outside of NATO. That same month, he supported the integration of Taiwan into the People's Republic of China under a "special administrative zone" model similar to Hong Kong. In November 2023, he criticized Israel's campaign in Gaza but also emphasized that X would not tolerate anti-Semitic statements calling for the destruction of Israel.
Trump's Invaluable Ally
Musk's support for Trump's candidacy is immense. Firstly, and most importantly, by purchasing Twitter in October 2022, Musk ended Trump’s isolation from mainstream social media. Trump returned to Twitter in August 2023, although he had launched his own social media platform, Truth Social, in 2021. By returning to his familiar online territory, Trump's content became more accessible to regular people, both avid fans and undecided voters. Secondly, Musk has been posting daily on his X profile, which has around 200 million followers, openly advocating for Trump. After the second assassination attempt on Trump on September 15, Musk posted, asking how it was possible that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris had never been targets of assassination attempts. Although Musk later deleted the post, the message lingered. Musk uses the platform not only to promote his entrepreneurial ventures but also to push conservative agendas like combating illegal immigration, encouraging larger families, and humorously commenting on current events.
Thirdly, with his passionate pro-MAGA propaganda and status as a renowned businessman and technological mastermind, Musk lends Trump much-needed legitimacy, and in fact, legality. Trump is nearly unanimously condemned by the American establishment, which largely believes that, due to numerous scandals, Trump belongs behind bars rather than in the White House. Unsurprisingly, this establishment has sided with Harris, including the world's most popular singer, Taylor Swift. However, Musk is the only celebrity who actively and daily campaigns for the politician he has endorsed. No one does this for Harris. Musk acts as an informal spokesperson for Trump. Having the vocal and unequivocal support of the most successful electric car manufacturer, private space explorer, and pioneer of advanced technologies holds great value in America, where celebrity endorsements of politicians are commonplace. Between the lines, Musk suggests that not only does Trump have the right to be president, but that it is desirable for the United States.
Fourthly, Musk’s financial contributions to Trump’s campaign are significant. In July, it was reported that Musk would donate $45 million per month through his corporations, though he later denied this. He announced that he had formed a political action committee (PAC) through which he makes smaller contributions than the reported amount. In the U.S., PACs are independent political organizations where donors can give unlimited amounts of money, while individual donations are capped. There is no doubt that Musk’s donations are carefully calculated and directed where they are most needed—in key swing state districts. Musk is also donating to the Republican Party’s congressional election campaign to maintain its majority in the House of Representatives. Most of the donated money goes towards ads promoting Republicans and attacking Democrats in states such as New York, California, Iowa, and Ohio.
Musk—a Potential Trump Cabinet Member
Beyond campaign support, if Trump returns to the White House, it is likely that Musk will receive a position in the new administration. Trump has already announced that he plans to increase the number of political appointments in federal civil services at the expense of career officials. In an X conversation with Trump in August (which was listened to by around 100 million people in the first few days), Musk proposed establishing a government efficiency commission to ensure that taxpayers' money is spent wisely and effectively. In his words, the commission's task would be to “conduct a full financial and performance audit of the entire federal government and make recommendations for drastic reforms.” Trump enthusiastically embraced the idea, calling Musk "the greatest cutter," a nod to Musk's business management style. After taking over Twitter, 75 percent of employees were laid off, leaving only the most essential workers. This led to a decline in advertising revenue but also increased freedom of expression, including the spread of various (conspiracy) theories.
According to some media outlets, Trump and Musk are in daily talks about Musk’s business philosophy, which Trump is willing to apply in his potential second term. When asked by reporters if this means that 5% of U.S. federal government employees (about 150,000 people) would lose their jobs, Musk replied that "more than that" would need to be done. He declined to disclose more information for fear of becoming a target of assassins. Musk seemed to forget that according to the U.S. political system, it is Congress, not the government, that is responsible for abolishing government jobs. Even if Musk were appointed to a cabinet position, he would not have absolute power, as he does in his private companies. However, in practice, Trump’s administration, with Musk’s influence, could fire employees and wait for a decision from the Supreme Court. Since the Supreme Court is dominated by conservatives (six out of nine judges, some of whom were appointed by Trump), it’s possible they would approve the controversial government decision. Interestingly, Trump’s vice-presidential candidate JD Vance stated that the U.S. stance towards NATO could be conditioned by its relationship with X. If Europeans tried to limit Musk’s social network, the U.S. might withhold aid to its European allies within NATO. As such, Musk could significantly impact the overall policy of the new administration.
Musk—a New Trump?
Elon Musk is largely following Trump’s transformative life path. Trump was a renowned businessman, reality star, and darling of American show business before suddenly becoming the main enemy of the U.S. deep state when he veered off the established political track. Musk’s trajectory is similar. Besides being a mega-successful businessman and inventor, he appeared in numerous movies and TV series. Over time, he decided to turn against the mainstream political currents with which he had previously operated smoothly. Regardless of the election outcome, Musk will remain involved in politics in some way. If the U.S. constitutional framework allowed it, Musk, being a skilled and creative political activist, could run for U.S. president or vice president in the future, potentially becoming Trump 2.0. However, he cannot hold these positions due to the U.S. Constitution. According to Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, the president and vice president must be born in the U.S. or on territories under U.S. jurisdiction. Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, which disqualifies him from holding these offices. However, he could run for a seat in the U.S. Congress, though this is unlikely, given his preference for holding the highest offices.
It’s more plausible that he may run for governor of a state in the future. Since December 2020, Musk has been a resident of Texas (he moved from California due to lower taxes) and will meet the residency requirement after five years. Given that Texas is traditionally a Republican stronghold, he could potentially win an election. Although this is not currently his goal, such scenarios cannot be ruled out. Alternatively, he may remain a political activist working for the Republicans. Considering the unprecedented showbiz nature of U.S. politics in recent months (with the endorsements of Musk and Swift being touted by both parties as the Holy Grail), Musk will wield significant political influence.