Elon Musk Continues to Support Republicans Despite Trump Conflicts

Despite publicly feuding with former US President Donald Trump, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has continued to fund Republican candidates, donating millions of dollars to campaign groups preparing for next year's midterm elections.

Half-year records released Thursday show Musk was the top donor to committees supporting Republicans in congressional elections – even as his term in government ended ignominiously and his companies suffered backlash for their association with the Trump administration. According to filings with the US Federal Election Commission, Musk donated $5 million each to two major Super Pacs supporting House and Senate Republican candidates on June 27, just days after floating the idea of forming an opposition party.

Meanwhile, Musk's own political action committee, America Pac, disclosed that it had less than $200,000 in its coffers at the end of last month. Last year he used the committee to support Trump's campaign, as well as local candidates in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

During this period, Musk donated $45 million to America Pac, most of which went to support Brad Schimel – a conservative candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, who ultimately lost by 10 percentage points. The world's richest man spent more than $250 million last year supporting Trump's campaign. In May, frustrated by Schimel's loss and the fact that his companies faced a backlash for his role as head of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE),” he hinted that he would scale back political donations altogether.

Shortly thereafter, Musk's relationship with Trump completely broke down. The billionaire called the White House's landmark tax and spending bill a “political slush fund” and again raised speculation about the president's close relationship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In response, Trump said the government may cancel lucrative contracts with Musk's companies (such as SpaceX and Starlink) and even hinted that his former ally could be deported.

On July 5, a frustrated Musk claimed to have formed the “America Party,” saying he would “focus in the next 12 months” on supporting candidates opposed to Republicans. However, there is currently no indication that Musk or his allies have taken the steps necessary to form a party at the local or national level. Recently, tensions between Trump and the former donor appear to have eased, with the president saying he hopes Musk's companies "flourish."

Musk did not respond to requests for comment on these filings.

Analysis:

Musk's seemingly contradictory donations raise questions about his true political motivations. Is it simply a strategy to hedge his bets or does it reflect a genuine shift in his positions? Regardless of the reason, his substantial financial involvement in American politics makes him a force to be reckoned with. It also illustrates the complex and often unpredictable nature of political funding in the United States.