WASHINGTON (AP) – Elon Musk’s super PAC spent about $200 million in election support. donald trumpThe group is funding efforts to set new standards for how billionaires can influence elections, according to people familiar with the group’s spending.
The Tesla and SpaceX billionaire is giving most of his money to the America PAC, which targets low-propensity first-time voters, said the person, who was not authorized to discuss the numbers and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was said that the focus was on
America PAC’s activities were supported by: March judgment This clears the way for super PACs to coordinate campaigns and campaigns, allowing the Trump campaign to rely on the nation’s most high-profile billionaire’s nearly unlimited funds to drive turnout in red-hued areas. This is a statement from the Federal Election Commission. country. This allowed the campaign to save money and spend it on everything from national advertising campaigns to targeted outreach to once-Democratic-majority demographics.
This plan worked well for both parties. Mr. Trump saw a significant increase in turnout in battleground states, and late in the campaign, the president-elect acknowledged Mr. Musk’s role in the campaign. “We have a new star,” President Trump said at an election night party in Florida. “A star is born, Elon!”
“The FEC’s ruling clears the way for even more profits to be made from the soft money companies that were out there doing this work anyway,” said James Blair, the Trump campaign’s political director.
Prime Minister Blair served as a key liaison between the Trump operation and groups like America PAC. It’s a far cry from the early days when super PACs had to decide on strategies without formal contact with the campaigns they supported.
“By saving hard dollars, we were able to pursue broader and deeper paid voter contact and advertising programs,” Blair said. That includes a broad advertising campaign targeting a national audience and, crucially, aiming to increase voter turnout among Black and Latino men, two areas President Trump expects to see big gains in 2024. It includes more targeted campaigns, he added.
It wasn’t just Musk’s money that helped Trump. The billionaire businessman became one of President Trump’s most high-profile surrogates in the final months of the campaign, often appearing on stage with the former president. With his endorsement, Mr. Trump was able to clearly open a world of young men who looked up to Mr. Musk.
Trump also announced that Musk owned the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and that he was repealing many of the rules that held him back before he was removed from office in 2021. The company also benefited from its efforts to Like many conservatives, Musk is a fierce critic of social media. Media efforts to combat misinformation have been argued as tantamount to pro-government censorship.
Musk is now expected to play a key role in the second Trump administration. The president-elect announced that he would put Musk’s rocket company, which works with the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, at the head of a new government efficiency commission.
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Challenging common sense
The effort between the Trump campaign and America PAC could be long-term.
It could signal major changes in the way presidential elections are run, overturning long-held assumptions about campaigns that lack full control over field programs, the influence of billionaires on politics, and the effectiveness of paid recruiting efforts. .
One reason for skepticism is that this model has failed spectacularly in past campaigns, particularly that of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
More than any other candidate in the primary, Mr. DeSantis relied on outside groups to shore up his campaign. The group Never Back Down is suffering from internal problemswas overwhelmed by Trump and his campaign in Iowa, despite spending $130 million promoting the Florida governor.
But one of the most profound problems is that The line between what is legally permissible becomes blurred Issues between the campaign and outside groups were a concern for some within the governor’s official camp.
But that was before the FEC ruling, meaning Trump and Musk’s groups were operating in a very different world than they were in the primaries months earlier.
Blair said the ruling “allows for more direct communication regarding solicitations.” “That’s a real difference, a critical difference.”
Musk’s external group established But the group began its voting efforts more clearly when Musk endorsed Trump in July, after the former president survived an assassination attempt. A week later, in an interview with a conservative podcaster, Musk acknowledged the new committee, saying, numerous top Republican operatives He joined the effort with ties to DeSantis.
The group ran ads warning that if people did not participate in the elections, “Kamala and the lunatics will win.” The most attention-grabbing US PAC efforts were: $1 million per day voter sweepstakes The group was taken to court before a judge ruled that it could continue. Although the sweepstakes and subsequent trial attracted considerable attention, much of America PAC’s activities took place under the radar.
Door knocking is perhaps America PAC’s most influential activity, and President Trump experienced increased turnout in key rural areas of battleground states. However, this work was not without controversy.
a Guardian newspaper report America PAC’s efforts have found a prevalence of paid recruiters who lie about their jobs or claim to knock on doors they don’t visit. multiple Report from Wired Some of the paid recruiters claimed they worked in poor conditions, riding in the backseats of rented U-Haul vans and being intimidated to meet impossible quotas. art dealer fired After Wired’s report, Lawsuit against America PAC.
A spokesperson for America PAC declined to comment on the record for this article.
Meanwhile, Musk said in a conversation on the Ta.
