Elon Musk has always been known for being in headlines or making them. From not driving all Tesla cars to his Texas estate causing a stir amongst his neighbours, his actions have confused people at times.
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Lately, Musk’s wildest experiment has arguably been in politics, backing Donald Trump with enormous sums of cash and launching the ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ known as DOGE.
But after spending millions to influence elections, Musk now says he's pulling back from the political arena—raising eyebrows and sparking curiosity about what's next.
Musk cuts political spending after massive Trump investment
Elon Musk’s venture into political spending has never been subtle, and his financial support for Donald Trump has set new records for political involvement by a tech billionaire.
Last year alone, Musk poured an astonishing $300 million into various pro-Trump initiatives, becoming the Republican Party’s most flamboyant backer. His America PAC political organisation even hosted sweepstakes awarding pre-selected voters with $1 million cheques—testing campaign finance boundaries. However, things may be changing soon, according to The Guardian.
In a candid exchange at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk indicated he’d soon be taking his chequebook out of politics. Speaking with Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain, Musk casually remarked:
I think, in terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future.
When pressed to explain, Musk quipped:
I think I’ve done enough.
The response drew laughter from the audience, though his tone left room for interpretation about how serious his commitment was.
This comes after his significant investment in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race ended disastrously, prompting ridicule and a strong backlash from both Democrats and Republicans alike. Musk’s candidate also lost decisively, leaving Republicans to reconsider the risk of being associated with him.
A Republican insider, speaking anonymously to Politico, summarised Musk’s problematic involvement bluntly:
He's finished, done, gone. He polls terribly. People hate him.
Despite all of this, as Musk distanced himself from his previously fervent political commitments, he hinted he might still intervene selectively. He clarified:
If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I do not currently see a reason.
Trump has quietly dropped Musk from his social media
One of the major reason behind Musk’s decision could have something to do with Trump’s actions. Over the past few months it was constantly reported that the POTUS has grown tired of the tech billionaire.
In line with that sentiment, Trump, who used to mention Musk four times a week on his social media platform Truth Social, has recently erased the billionaire completely from his posts. As per The Independent, he hasn’t mentioned him since April.
The silence from Trump's camp extends beyond social media. The White House and senior Trump advisers have also noticeably dropped Musk from their public messaging, no longer touting him as the mastermind behind governmental cost-cutting measures.
Read more:
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Sources used:
The Guardian: Elon Musk claims he will step back from political donations in near future
The Independent: Trump has wiped Elon Musk’s name from Truth Social as GOP insiders admit he’s ‘finished, done, gone’
