Elon Musk backs off on $45 million-a-month promise to Trump: ‘I’m not into a cult of personality’
Elon Musk Not spent $45 million a month to elect former President Donald Trump, even as he formed a new super PAC to fund the Republican candidate, billionaire speak Conservative commentator Jordan Peterson in an interview Monday night.
In an interview held on Musk’s platform, XPeterson asked Musk if he was “shocking” himself by donating a large sum of money to Trump’s campaign. Musk – who has previously criticized Trump – called him a “Bulls in a china shop” – pausing to correct the “media” error.
“What’s been reported in the media is completely untrue,” Musk said. “I’m not donating $45 million a month to Trump.”
The Wall Street Journal Firstly reported about the complaint, citing sources “familiar with the matter.” The agency has yet to issue a retraction or a follow-up article changing its reporting.
Musk has noted that he created a super PAC, called America PAC, to support Trump. A super PAC is a group that can raise unlimited amounts of money for independent campaign expenditures—like advertising or day-to-day operations—but does not donate directly to the campaign. They have gained prominence in both the Democratic and Republican parties since the 2010 D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling. decision has allowed the existence of super PACS. For a typical PAC, donors are limited to giving $5,000 a year.
Several tech company leaders have donated to America PAC, including Ken Howery, an early Paypal executive alongside Musk, Antonio Gracias, a private equity leader, Shuan Maguire of Sequoia Capital and the Winklevoss twins.
The super PAC is also led in part by Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of software company Palantir and a politically ambitious venture capitalist in Austin who is close to Musk, according to to the New York Times.
Musk said the Austin-based America PAC “is not considered an extremist organization.” He said he is not part of MAGA—or Make America Great Again, Trump’s campaign slogan—but rather, his principles align with “MAG”: Make America Greater.
“I do not prescribe for [a] “cult of personality,” Musk said. But he added that Trump showed “tremendous courage” after being shot by an attempted assassin on July 13, and that strength helps intimidate America’s enemies.
Musk also talked about the “core values” that make America great, which he said the Republican Party embodies more than the Democratic Party.
“One of those values is meritocracy, the more meritocratic the better, so that you can advance based on your skills, and nothing else,” Musk said.
He also added that one of the principles the PAC adheres to is “freedom,” specifically being free from “as much government interference as possible.” The hand of government is getting stronger every year, and if we don’t remove some restrictions and regulations, eventually “everything will become illegal,” Musk said.
When Peterson asked Musk why he switched to supporting Trump after long voting for Democrats, Musk said that Democrats had become the party of censorship.
He also criticized the lawsuit that the Justice Department—under the administration of President Joe Biden—brought against his company. SpaceXlast year, allegations that Musk had discouraged refugees and asylum seekers from applying for jobs at the aerospace company. A court order later blocked the US from pursuing the case.
