Did billionaire Elon Musk's 'tons' of money help Mr. Trump win the election?

During a lively party on election night November 5, billionaire Elon Musk sat two seats away from President-elect Donald Trump, receiving much praise for his decisive role in the Republican candidate's victory.

Mr. Trump has the support of the world's richest man, Elon Musk - Photo: REUTERS

"America PAC has significantly improved the Republican campaign in swing states," billionaire Elon Musk said in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson at Mar-a-Lago, Trump 's Florida estate. America PAC is a political action committee (PAC), founded by Elon Musk with the support of many prominent technology entrepreneurs, to support Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the 2024 election. Trump's success in the recent election was the culmination of a six-month effort and a huge gamble: Musk let America PAC lead the campaign to get out the vote for Trump in battleground states. Trump, on the other hand, trusted someone with no political experience with a key role in his campaign. It’s hard to pin down Mr. Musk’s role in Trump’s return to the White House, as success is always multifaceted, according to the New York Times . But there’s no denying that the victory was about more than just Mr. Musk’s success and the money he spent. The social media mogul has largely self-funded the campaign, which has cost more than $175 million. His team has knocked on about 11 million doors in battleground states since August, including about 1.8 million in Michigan and 2.3 million in Pennsylvania. In addition, Mr. Musk has spent $30 million on a massive direct mail program and $22 million on digital advertising, including on Trump-friendly media. In the spring, when he met with political advisers, Mr. Musk focused on mobilizing 800,000 to 1 million “unlikely” voters in seven battleground states—people who might lean toward Mr. Trump but have a history of voting irregularly. This gave Mr. Trump a big advantage in rural areas, which Mr. Musk has focused on. The 53-year-old billionaire used traditional campaign tactics. He created a “fleet of cars” to transport Trump supporters. He also called for early voting and mail-in voting, despite Mr. Trump’s repeated criticism of the method. In addition, Mr. Musk offered cash rewards, such as $1 million to those who signed a petition supporting free speech and gun rights. Although controversial, the incident attracted public attention. Meanwhile, Mr. Musk’s X account, with millions of followers, became a tool to spread information in support of Mr. Trump. Trump campaign leaders appreciated the support from the tech billionaire. Musk received daily reports on early voting numbers and directed his team, which included personal friends and Republican strategists. With Elon Musk 's support, Trump's victory set a precedent for "shark" donors in American politics. Mike DuHaime, a former Republican National Committee official, shared concerns about the gradual control of politics by large donors. In addition, this success also paved the way for billionaire Musk to continue staying in the political field. On the flight back to Mar-a-Lago, he announced on X that America PAC would continue to influence judicial races and the 2026 midterm elections. "America PAC will not stop after this election," Musk affirmed.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tien-tan-cua-ti-phu-elon-musk-da-giup-ong-trump-thang-cu-20241107164233444.htm