As of this writing, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and first trillionaire, has pumped more than $445 million into the midterms in an attempt to strengthen the Republicans’ chances of winning. That includes dropping $77 million into his America PAC in the first half of October, as well as $71 million for Senate races in Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, Maine and Texas. In the Texas race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton, Musk has reportedly spent $181 million, which includes a $158 million donation to the Senate Leadership Fund, an amount that was then forwarded to the Paxton-connected Texas PAC.
Musk, whose companies include Tesla and SpaceX, has aggressively targeted Talarico on his X platform by calling him “a creep,” insisting “there’s something deeply wrong” with him and lying that he would “vote to take away your kids and transition them.” Musk, who has an estranged transgender daughter, also loudly pushed the lie this month that Talarico was being treated at a mental health center in Ohio.
The Democratic candidate’s response: “There is something deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal U.S. Senator.” A new Talarico ad, in a close race that has flown past $500 million in advertising, expanded this thought: “Elon wants to buy up our land, he wants to buy up our water, and now, he wants to buy his own personal U.S. Senator. Texas is not for sale.”
Musk’s singular effort to decide the outcome of our elections would be enough to fuel our anger. But in the last two weeks, we’ve also been learning about his role in determining the fate of war-torn Ukraine in its life-and-death battle against Putin’s Russia. All of a sudden, speed restrictions were put in place for Starshield, the military-grade version of the satellite internet service Starlink owned by SpaceX, which have disrupted Ukraine’s drone operations and air defenses. This is on top of Trump’s treasonous betrayal of Ukraine by buying Russian diesel.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Musk ordered the slowdown, while Musk claimed such a decision was coordinated with the Pentagon and “ultimately POTUS.” Trump’s typical obfuscation: He said he didn’t know who was responsible, “but I would like to find out.” But make no mistake that the U.S. government has spent billions to develop and operate the technology; Musk, a private citizen, is positioned to switch it on and off, thereby influencing foreign policy and the fate of millions in the middle of a war.
A letter sent to Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Friday by several House members, including Rep. Ro Khanna, demanded “an immediate, government-wide investigation into the decision to restrict SpaceX's Starshield satellite-based intelligence and military support services in Ukraine.” The conflicting reports “raise broader concerns about the intersection of political influence, federal contracting, and the substantial taxpayer-funded business interests of Mr. Musk's companies.”
As they rightly conclude, “American taxpayers should never be left guessing whether the responsibility for critical national security decisions lies with their elected government or a private citizen with substantial financial interests in federal contracts.” They also promised that the next Congress “will closely scrutinize federal funding awarded to Mr. Musk’s businesses, including whether these companies meet their contractual obligations, and whether adequate safeguards exist against political interference, arbitrary service restrictions, and misuse of federal resources.”
To be sure: Elon Musk is pumping half a billion dollars into the midterms in a desperate attempt to keep the Republicans in control of Congress to ward off investigations of him and his companies. Half a billion is a small commitment for a man whose fortune hovers around a trillion dollars. His businesses have been built with a reported $38 billion of U.S. government funding, which is to say our taxpayer dollars.
And Musk is now using that fortune to push his white supremacist and other hateful views on X, try and decide the fate of our democracy, and determine the fate of other sovereign nations. As I noted in the days after the 2024 election, when I cut my regular posting on the increasingly vile X, “Nobody elected Elon Musk.” That post garnered over three million views, but the reality of Musk’s extreme and inordinate power has only gotten worse.
How long can we tolerate Elon Musk deciding our elections and foreign policy? How critical is it that investigations immediately begin if and when the Democrats take back power? Should Starlink and SpaceX be nationalized to minimize Musk’s power? What do you think of confiscating these companies, something that has been done at other times in American history (including the Revolutionary War and Civil War) when men abandoned their allegiance to America and committed treasonous acts? And do you think Musk’s heavy hand in the midterm elections will backfire as voters reject his disproportionate influence?
As always, I look forward to reading your observations and the opportunity for the America, America community to hear from each other. Please do be respectful in your remarks. Trolling will not be tolerated.
As the midterms grow closer, it’s more important than ever to support the survival of democracy. I remain committed to raising my voice as vividly and fiercely as I can. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber for just $50 a year or $5 a month to show your support and enhance your engagement—to share your thoughts in the comments sections and access all content.
I do not want a White Beluga with a brain soaked in Ketamine and immersed in Replacement Theory and White Supremacy deciding our fate any longer!
Maybe, just maybe, out of these inexplicable times, Americans will develop a healthy skepticism about ascribing more intelligence, talent, or wisdom to the wealthy. And learn to question in whose interest the wealthy are acting.