Policy
Billionaire and X owner, Elon Musk, originally backed Ron DeSantis for president, though the Florida governor has since dropped out of the Republican primary.
Donald Trump is now the likely Republican Party nominee, who hasn't been on X (formerly Twitter) for some time and is actively fundraising after recently taking a major financial hit in the courtroom.
They reportedly met on Sunday.
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When Worlds Collide – Elon Musk Meets Trump
“Donald Trump met with billionaire Elon Musk in Florida over the weekend as the former Republican president seeks a big cash infusion for his re-election campaign, the New York Times reported,” The Guardian reported.
According to the Times, Trump met with Musk — one of the richest people in the world — and a number of wealthy Republican donors on Sunday and hopes to have a one-on-one discussion soon with Musk, the CEO of both Tesla Inc and SpaceX. and owner and CEO of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The story continued:
The newspaper said that Trump, whose personal fortune has taken recent hits due to rulings against him in a civil fraud case in New York and a separate defamation trial, aims to raise additional major contributors to his presidential campaign.
Musk has not said whether he plans to support Trump financially, but the South African-born billionaire businessman has indicated in social media posts that he opposes incumbent President Joe Biden – who defeated Trump in 2020 – winning a second term in November.
Musk has long sought to portray himself as politically independent, but previously stated that he voted for Biden in 2020. But since then, he has criticized the president and clashed with his administration.
The Guardian added: “Last year, Musk said he would not vote for Biden again, and – according to the Times report – he made clear that defeating the president was a priority.”
Forbes magazine targeted his net worth at around $200 billion. If he wanted, Elon Musk could give a huge financial advantage to any candidate he wanted, including Trump.
However, shortly after the announced meeting, and despite some in Musk's orbit saying he was interested in Biden losing, the billionaire said he would not donate to either presidential candidate.
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Despite strong voter support, Trump's cash flow has declined
The Guardian noted, “Financial disclosures filed last month showed that Trump’s cash holdings had fallen to just over $30 million as he waged successful GOP primary campaigns, down from about $33 million the previous month, his campaign said in a report to Federal Election Commission (FEC).” “.
Looking at the poll numbers now, this is a race that Donald Trump will lose.
But money is important. Votes matter. Elon Musk could matter a lot too, if he decides to.
Regardless, it's sure to be a wild ride this November.
