(RightWing.org) – A presidential election campaign is eye-wateringly expensive, and fundraising is always a big concern for candidates. Having the support of the richest man in the world can make a big difference to campaign finances, so there’s been a lot of speculation about what Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and SpaceX, will do in this year’s race for the White House. As a former liberal who’s drifted to the right, it wasn’t clear which candidate he’d decide to back. Well, now we know the answer — neither of them.
Musk Sits It Out — For Now
On Wednesday Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter), which the South African-born entrepreneur has owned since October 2022. He wrote, “Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President.” There’s no doubt that message is clear enough to remove any doubts, but it’s still come as a surprise to many.
Musk has famously said that he hasn’t changed his politics; the problem is Liberals have become so much more extreme that, while he used to be politically left of center, the center itself has moved and he’s ended up to the right of it.
His former allies on the left certainly aren’t his biggest fans anymore; since he took over Twitter and rebranded it X he’s been under constant attack for allowing “hate speech” (in other words, anything Liberals disagree with) on the platform. Days after he bought the social media site the Biden administration launched an investigation into the deal, and Biden himself threatened to have Musk “looked at.”
On the other hand, former president Donald Trump has repeatedly praised Musk for ending the rampant political censorship that made Twitter so hostile to Conservatives, as well as for his success as a businessman. In late February Musk met Trump and major GOP donors in Florida. That made it look like he might be considering a donation to the Trump campaign. However, it doesn’t look like that’s going to be happening.
Funding Options Aren’t Closed Off
Although Musk has confirmed that he won’t be donating to either candidate, that doesn’t mean he won’t use his fortune to make a difference. He could still funnel money into a PAC, theoretically supporting either campaign that way — although, considering how conservative he seems to have become, a donation to a pro-Biden PAC isn’t likely. He could also opt to back a third-party candidate. However, if either Trump or Biden was counting on a Musk endorsement with the weight of a cash donation behind it, they appear to be out of luck.
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