Elon Musk, the billionaire known for his increasing criticism of President Joe Biden, has made a substantial donation to political group working to elect Biden’s rival in the upcoming presidential election Donald Trump, according to a Bloomberg report. The exact amount of the donation was not disclosed, but it was described as “a sizable amount.” The political group America PAC is required to reveal its list of donors on July 15.
In March, Trump, who is expected to be officially nominated as the Republican Party’s candidate for the November 5 election, had a meeting with Musk and other wealthy donors.
Following 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 refuted media reports suggesting he had discussed a potential advisory role in a future Trump presidency.
Musk, the wealthiest person in the world and the head of several companies, has in recent years more openly aligned himself with the Republican Party. This has had an impact on Tesla’s reputation and sales, as the company is his primary source of wealth.
Last month, Trump reiterated his commitment to immediately abandon the Biden administration’s “mandate” to support the electric vehicle industry. However, he added, “I’m a big fan of electric cars. I’m a fan of Elon.” Trump also said that Musk “does an incredible job with Tesla.”
Musk mentioned that they had “some conversations” and that Trump is a “huge fan of the Cybertrucks,” referring to Tesla’s electric pickup trucks. Although Musk has publicly criticised Biden’s policies on immigration, electric vehicles, and even his age, he has not made any formal endorsement for the November election. Trump has also said that he is unsure if he has Musk’s support.
Musk has also endorsed antisemitic comments on X, although he has denied being antisemitic himself. According to a CivicScience survey shown to Reuters, Musk’s views have negatively affected his standing among some consumers.