Elon Musk has gone from a tech entrepreneur largely avoidant of politics to what strategists name a “megaphone” for right-wing views as an online surrogate for former President Trump within the White Home race.
The tech mogul started wading into the political panorama a number of years in the past, however the previous few months have marked a major improve in his partisan discourse, political specialists mentioned.
His embrace of Republican politics and Trump can now be seen practically each day on his social media platform X, which was referred to as Twitter till he purchased it in 2022.
Political strategists on either side of the aisle contend Musk’s ramped up political exercise – mixed together with his wealth and on-line visibility – may be an asset for Trump, whom he endorsed in July following the primary assassination try on the previous president.
“He in all probability does extra to spotlight the issues on the border than the complete company media complicated simply due to the scale of his soapbox,” mentioned one Republican strategist.
The strategist in contrast Musk’s shift into politics to Trump’s, calling the Tesla and SpaceX CEO “a unusual character that basically just about everybody favored till he managed to purchase Twitter and leaned in on some points.”
“Donald Trump was immensely in style till he obtained concerned in politics, after which half the nation doesn’t like him,” the strategist mentioned.
A Wall Street Journal analysis of Musk’s posts on X this 12 months discovered he had about 230 occasions as many exchanges a month that comprise political phrases in 2024 in contrast with 2019, whereas a Washington Post analysis mentioned practically 20 p.c of his posts this 12 months have been political.
“I might argue that something that Musk says, you think about, has been cosigned and even instigated by Donald Trump,” political strategist Basil Smikle informed The Hill.
Musk’s current posts on X have ranged from reposting tweets criticizing Democrats — particularly Vice President Harris and her working mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — to direct feedback about Trump and the advantages of his re-election.
Earlier this month, Musk claimed “America will fall to tyranny” until Trump is elected, garnering 83 million views. In one other put up following the second assassination try on Trump’s life, Musk wrote, “The incitement to hatred and violence towards President Trump by the media and main Democrats must cease.”
Musk’s posts and actions mark a pointy distinction from practically 10 years in the past, when he told Vanity Fair in 2015 that he will get “concerned in politics as little as attainable,” although his enterprise ventures typically required him to get entangled to “some quantity.” In that very same interview, Musk mentioned he hoped Trump wouldn’t get the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, saying “that wouldn’t be good.”
His amped-up political involvement has drawn scrutiny from the left, a few of whom argue his sharing of misinformation or conspiracy theories may negatively affect Democrats’ prospects in November.
“It’s very placing a finger on the dimensions of our info ecosystem, with already such a troublesome panorama, and I believe additionally a panorama that disadvantages Democrats from conventional media all the best way to social media,” Democratic strategist Kaivan Shroff mentioned.
Musk — probably the most adopted consumer on X with practically 199 million followers — drew criticism earlier this month when he reposted a since-deleted tweet about rumors of “explosives” present in a automobile close to a Trump rally, writing “Wow,” on X. The put up now has a group word clarifying New York officers denied the experiences however nonetheless seems on Musk’s feed.
In one other put up after the second try on Trump’s life, Musk got here underneath fireplace for writing “nobody is even attempting” to assassinate Harris in what he known as a “joke.” He later deleted the tweet amid backlash.
“Elon Musk is blatantly permitting misinformation to stream via that platform, that is simply not. It is not good for democracy,” Democratic strategist Rodell Mollineau mentioned.
Musk is in a posh place as each the proprietor of a social media platform and a public, now partisan determine, strategists urged.
Since buying X in 2022, the tech mogul took a brand new method to the platform’s content material insurance policies, cutting back on a number of moderation options. The dearth of moderation prompted varied advertisers to flee the location and launch authorized inquiries into firm practices.
The platform’s algorithm has since been accused of favoring Musk’s posts, drawing considerations from some strategists about his affect on voters.
“The voter might expertise a unique kind of affect on his [Musk’s] half, within the sense that they could see his tweets, however what they’re not sure of is how a lot his management of X is influencing the algorithm in order that the voter is seeing one thing totally different than they’d have seen had he not moved in,” Smikle mentioned.
This “helps Trump,” Smikle mentioned, as a result of “it makes it really feel to the viewer, to the patron, that it’s extra natural than it in all probability is.”
One other Trump ally agreed, stating Musk is “extraordinarily useful” by merely utilizing his X account to push assaults on Democrats that are likely to get thousands and thousands of views on the platform.
Smikle went as far to say that he’s “getting much more antidemocratic content material” on his feed since Musk’s takeover.
“I’ve seen a ton extra anti Harris tweets by individuals of coloration and particularly African Individuals, than I ever than I’ve seen any such, any such exercise towards the Democrats or towards Biden,” he mentioned, including later, “That’s the place Trump will get assist and Kamala will get damage.”
Todd Belt, the director of the political administration program on the Graduate College of Political Administration on the George Washington College, argued X’s algorithm places Musk “entrance and middle,” however expressed doubt it may have any tangible impact on influencing voters.
“I do not know that it has an incredible quantity of impact, as a result of it will get misplaced in all of the noise of the marketing campaign, proper?” Belt informed The Hill. “It stimulates and prompts the bottom,” he continued, “however I do not suppose it is convincing individuals.”
X nor the Trump marketing campaign instantly responded to The Hill’s request for remark.
As Musk aligned with Trump, the previous president returned to posting on the platform in July. Trump’s account was reinstated in 2023 after pre-Musk administration banned him within the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the Capitol. Musk restored Trump’s account final 12 months amid a slew of different content material moderation adjustments, which drew reward from right-wing personalities and considerations from on-line misinformation teams.
The X proprietor’s political attain has additionally stretched to the monetary facet. Musk has backed Save America PAC, a political group that has spent tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} on get out the vote efforts the Trump marketing campaign is counting on to prove low-propensity voters in swing states.
Trump even urged he would put Musk in his Cabinet earlier than backtracking, saying the mogul would in all probability be too busy. The previous president then said this month he would create a “authorities effectivity fee” and faucet Musk to guide the hassle if he’s reelected in November.
Musk, who has lengthy advocated for a smaller authorities, mentioned the idea throughout a X Areas dialog final month, suggesting such a panel may take a look at nationwide debt and the way Congress can reevaluate spending.
It stays unclear precisely what this fee would do, and a few Democrats have questioned whether or not it could be a critical effort.
Brett Samuels contributed reporting.
