Tech billionaire and richest man Elon Musk, whose claim to fame is reaching Mars with SpaceX and being the CEO of driverless Tesla cars that crash, bought the most influential social media platform in the world two years ago. When he bought Twitter, Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” vowed he would give all views, liberal or conservative, equal footing there.
Since then, he’s shown he’s just the opposite. He reinstated former President Donald Trump, who was banned on the site in 2021 after inciting an insurrection. He changed the name from Twitter to X in a rebrand and eliminated Twitter’s verified blue checks that allowed authentication to public figures and journalists; he then made the checks for sale, all but diminishing their purpose.
Musk has also pushed numerous conspiracy theories, including misinformation around aid and government response for Hurricane Helene; publicly endorsed Trump; and made a sick “joke” about assassinating Vice President Kamala Harris then deleted it. He spent the summer bombarding the few users still left on the platform with MAGA talking points, misinformation, and even old-fashioned bribery.
He’s made no secret he’s all in for Trump. Here what Musk has been up to in the name of MAGA just this week.
1. Musk has made it that Democrats want nothing to do with X.
Democrats are abandoning X due to the cesspool it has become. Political ad spending by Democrats particularly on X, sees a declining trend. From March 6 to Oct. 1, Republican candidates outspent Democrats on X by three times, with $3 million compared to $1 million, reported The Washington Post. Trump’s campaign is the largest political ad buyer on X, reflecting his close ties with Musk. Harris’ campaign has not invested in ads at all on the platform.
2. Musk lost a Supreme Court appeal to protect Trump from Jack Smith’s Department of Justice case.
The Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal from X regarding a search warrant related to the 2020 election interference case against Trump where he used his X account to spread misinformation and sow mistrust in the electoral process. Lawyers for the company argued that Trump should have been allowed to assert executive privilege, warning that such government actions could threaten other privileged communications. The AP also reported the company felt “a nondisclosure order that blocked it from telling Trump about the warrant obtained by special counsel Jack Smith’s team violated its First Amendment rights.”
3. Musk bribed for swing-state voter referrals with $47 for every signature.
On Sunday, Musk posted that he would pay $47 for each registered voter in certain swing states who refers someone to sign a petition in favor of First and Second Amendment rights. “For every person you refer who is a swing state voter, you get $47! Easy money,” he posted on X. The petition aims to secure 1 million signatures from voters in seven key swing states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. It is unclear what the signatures will be used for, but it is not illegal.
4. Musk is stumping for Trump in the final weeks of the campaign.
Musk joined Trump on stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, where he was seen jumping up and down as if out of a scene of “Revenge of the Nerds” or giving a creepy stare to Trump à la Smeagol from “Lord of the Rings.” He plans to visit the swing state during the four weeks leading up to Nov. 5, according to POLITICO. He is anticipated to make appearances with support from America PAC, the pro-Trump super PAC he established.
5. Musk is taking over Turning Point’s get-out-the-vote initiative in Wisconsin.
Turning Point USA, a leading far-right super PAC and America PAC, the pro-Trump organization funded by Musk, are collaborating in Wisconsin in get-out-the-vote work as the election approaches. However, Turning Point, which once headed operations in the Badger State, will take a backseat to Musk’s leadership.
America PAC, which according to the AP invested $45 million to canvassing efforts, started its hiring later in the election cycle. This includes training Turning Point staff on data usage, making operational decisions, and covering staff costs in Wisconsin, according to sources familiar with the arrangement. Turning Point will focus its efforts on Arizona, where it is based. Since the Republican National Committee was taken over by Trump in late April, plans were scrapped to open 40 field offices in battleground states, severely limiting the GOP’s ground game.
