After sinking more than $4 billion in the 2024 election and playing a central role in President Donald Trump’s administration, billionaire Elon Musk demonstrates that he has not made any effort to rebuild American politics.
Musk, the public face of Trump’s attempts to take a chain saw to the federal brushaucracy, is a constant fixture on White House grounds and on his social media platform, X. Mean while, the super PAC he founded is the top outside spender in the April 1 election that will determine the majority on Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court, and he is also demonstrating his willingness to use his wallet to reward Trump loyalists in Congress — and, some fear, to punish others — as he carefully looks at the political landscape.
It all makes the mask a mega-donor with no resemblance to modern political history. Not only can a single check be radically reshaping the campaign, he is also a prominent political figure of his own, both as a executive and a de facto leader in Trump’s government efficiency.
In short, when he is wearing masks, his virtually unlimited bank accounts and a trend towards controversy is poised to play a major role in future elections.
America PAC – Super PAC masks began with the last presidential election, which mainly spent over $261 million to support Trump – the top outside the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, and have so far spent about $6.6 million on advertising and organizing. The group’s funding has not yet been made public, but Musk, north of its net worth of $300 billion, was responsible for most of the money he raised last year.
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, the third largest outsider in that race is building the future for America. Building the future for America has so far spent $4.5 million in races, Wisconsin campaign finance documents show, but it is unclear whether Musk is involved in the current efforts.
Still, Musk’s past contributions and prominent political role made him a boogieman in the Wisconsin Supreme Court competition. A recent ad for Judge Susan Crawford, a Democrat-backed candidate running against Republican-backed Judge Brad Simel, argued that “Eron Musk is trying to buy Simel a Supreme Court seat because he knows that Simel is always helping donors to his big campaign.” This is the first time masks have appeared in Wisconsin TV ads, according to Adimpact, a company that tracks political and content, after repeated democratic references to masks on trails and digital ads.
Musk is also rewarding Congressional members who have expressed support for Judge Mal-each who has ruled over elements of Trump’s agenda. Those familiar with mask donations will tell NBC News that Eli Crane, R. Aliz, Lauren Boebert, R-Colo, Andy Ogles, R-Ten, Andrew Clyde and R-ga, donations from the biggest campaign under federal law. Grassley, R-Iowa. (Only Van Olden is expected to run in highly competitive races next year.)
The donations, first reported by the New York Times, came from Judge James Boasberg, Supreme Court Judge of the U.S. District Court in Washington after the president and his allies opposed the ruling on Saturday, DC Boasberg ordered the administration to deport Elbador suspects and return them to the United States. The administration did not do that.
Trump is seeking Boasberg’s bounce each, but Musk has spent days on X supporting his efforts to eliminate judges he perceived as anti-Trump.
The Senator’s GOP aide said that while Mask’s direct contributions are “clearly always appreciated,” unlike Super PAC contributions that Mask can make without restrictions, those direct contributions are “basically small for such races” when those direct contributions conclude at such a low level.
But “but it’s definitely beneficial for (Musk) to be involved,” the aide wrote, adding that Musk “is a great help to some other states for the PA and our final cycle.”
A small number of $6,600 donations are basically nothing for the wealthiest people in the world, but they still send a big message. He sees Republicans in Congress being very close. And while Musk has focused most of his spending in general elections up until now, the notion that he can fund rebel Republicans of a major race is a big loom.
Musk said in November that the future of the US PAC includes playing a “significant role in the primary election,” implying that there is “no other way” to “emission the swamp” in addition to funding key challenges for Republicans who don’t support Trump’s agenda. The warning has not been lost to Republicans, including the small sliver who is not in the lockstep behind Trump.
At this week’s media availability event at the Alaska Legislature, Sen. Lisa Markowski, who criticizes some of the Doge cuts, lamented that she might see some of the criticisms other Republicans have faced from within the party, “Because they fear it’s not just a word.
“Elon Musk may have decided to take the next billion dollars that he would leave Starlink and place it directly against Lisa Markowski,” she added. “And what do you know? That may happen, but I haven’t given up on one minute, one opportunity to try and stand up for Alaskan.”
Musk, the donor of GOP ads, Musk characters from democratic ads
Last year, Musk didn’t just bankroll American packs like regular mega-donors. He burned the swing on Trump’s behalf, and appeared at events held by his group and rally along with Trump, claiming his future president. And it appears he will likely continue to work as he continues to be involved in social media and his political spending.
Trump’s allies said mask cash would be a major boost in the 2026 midterm elections. Meanwhile, he said the GOP could face a typical mid-way headwind. You can’t fix it just by checking.
“I think any money is good to put in these races,” the person said. “And that’s important. But what’s more important is the environment. If the environment is good, they need less money. If it’s bad, they need more.
“We’re in an environment where Republicans are more reliable voters than Democrats,” the person continues, “We need to change the composition of voters. It’s a much more difficult job than straight persuasion. And that’s a rare thing in politics.
Meanwhile, Democrats believe there will be an opportunity to use Musk and Kudji’s cuts against Republicans, like the new TV ads airing in Wisconsin, and use Musk as their proxy.
A new NBC News poll found that 39% of registered voters are looking at Musk actively, with 51% looking at him negatively, worsening his public image more than Trump and Vice President JD Vance. (He is also far less popular than federal workers, according to research.)
Voters are split into Doge on the new NBC News Poll, with 46% saying it’s a good idea, 40% saying it’s a bad idea, and 14% saying it’s not certain. However, 41% view Doge positively, and 47% view it negatively. And the third hopes to keep Doge as is, but the rest of the voters want Doge to either slow down or feel reckless.
Some of that frustration has fueled Republican lawmakers’ criticism of City Hall in recent weeks, with Energy Democrats believing they can be used.
Vote, a progressive group of veterans, announced this week that it would launch a six-figure ad campaign that criticizes Republicans in five vulnerable homes with messages focused solely on Musk and Doge, without mentioning Trump.
“If Republicans don’t speak out about purchasing access to middle-class veterans Elon Musk, they’ll be responsible for that in the medium term,” said Matt Corridoni, Vice President of Communications for Voting.
House majority forward, a super PAC supporting the House Democrats’ political agenda, has launched an ad and billboard featuring masks, using him as the face of a GOP budget resolution that could lead to Medicaid cuts. Last month, the group issued messaging guidance to Democrats: “It’s important at Elon Musk that his conflict of interest as head of Doge leads to cuts in Medicare and Social Security, and how it’s important to focus on leaving the interests of the middle class behind.”
Masks are equipment for democratic fundraising advertising. John Ossoff, D-Ga. , Chris Murphy, D-Ga, D-Conn. , Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. , Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. , Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. and D-garcia, d-garcia, d-casten. According to Adimpact, Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. is one of those who launched a digital fundraising appeal in recent weeks that sparked Musk.
“You use him as a foil to explain what Republicans are doing. They are laying out people, cutting Medicaid benefits, X and Z and Z. And they’re profiting from it,” said a Democrat strategist involved in the house race. “You can use musk as a boogie man, but you need to relay it to the reality that’s happening.”
Another democratic strategist from the group attacking Musk told NBC News that attacking him would serve multiple purposes, both electoral and individual.
Strategists are a way to highlight Trump’s “policies that are actively hurting people.” “And under his skin, it reminded him that he wasn’t the center of his show.”
“We’ve shown over and over again that if people get caught up in a mud fight like Donald Trump, we’ll lose it,” the strategist said.
But the person added, “If Trump reduces safety, we’ll win on two planes.”
