Elon Musk says he "fully endorses” Donald Trump after shooting
Elon Musk says he "fully endorses” Donald Trump after shooting.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been increasing his criticism of U.S. President Joe Biden, has donated to a political group supporting presidential candidate Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing sources. The report did not specify the amount Musk donated but mentioned it was "a sizable amount" given to a group called America PAC.
Bloomberg noted that the PAC, which can receive unlimited contributions for political activities, is required to disclose its list of donors on July 15.
In March, Trump, a former U.S. President who is expected to be formally nominated next week as the Republican Party's candidate for the November 5 election, met with Musk and other wealthy donors.
In response to reports of the meeting, Musk posted on X: "Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President." In May, he also denied media reports suggesting there had been talks about a potential advisory role for him in any Trump presidency.
Musk, the world's richest person who runs Tesla, SpaceX, and social media company X, did not respond to Reuters' request for comments.
Biden campaign spokesman James Singer said Musk knows Trump is "a sucker who will sell America out, cutting his taxes while raising taxes on the middle class by $2,500." He added, "Joe Biden has been standing up to people like Elon and fighting for the middle class his entire career — and it’s why he’ll win in November."
Musk has increasingly aligned himself with the Republican Party in recent years, affecting Tesla's reputation and sales, which is his primary source of wealth.
Last month, Trump reiterated his pledge to immediately abandon the Biden administration's "mandate" to support the electric vehicle industry but added, "I'm a big fan of electric cars. I'm a fan of Elon. He does an incredible job with Tesla."
Musk said they had "some conversations" and that Trump is a "huge fan of the Cybertrucks," referring to Tesla's electric pickup trucks. While he has publicly criticized Biden's policies on immigration, electric vehicles, and even his age, Musk has not formally endorsed any candidate for the November election, and Trump has said he does not know if he has Musk's support.
Musk has also endorsed antisemitic comments on X, though he denies being antisemitic. His views have affected his standing among some consumers, according to a CivicScience survey shown exclusively to Reuters.