DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A week after President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Elon Musk said his political action committee would “play a big role in the primaries.”
The following week, the billionaire responded to a report that he might fund challengers to members of the Republican Party who do not support Trump’s candidates. “How else?” There is no other way,” Musk wrote on X, which he renamed after buying Twitter and taking steps to strengthen conservative voices, including his own.
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And during his recent visit to Capitol Hill, Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy issued a warning to Republicans who don’t comply with their plans to cut spending as part of Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency.
“Elon and Vivek talked about having a naughty list and a nice list for congressmen and senators and how we vote and how we spend the American people’s money,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
Trump’s second term brings with it the specter of the world’s richest man serving as his political henchman. There is a sense within Trump’s team that Musk not only supports Trump’s agenda and Cabinet nominations, but is determined to see them through, to the point of putting pressure on Republicans who might be less pious.
A Trump adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal political dynamics, noted that Musk had come to enjoy his role in the campaign and clearly had the resources to stay involved.
The advisor and others noted that Musk’s role is still taking shape. And Musk, once a supporter of President Barack Obama before moving to the right in recent years, has a reputation for instability.
“I think he was really important to this election. The purchase of Twitter, to truly make it a free speech platform, was, I think, integral to this election, to Donald Trump’s victory,” said Lara Trump, outgoing co-chair of the National Committee Republican and daughter-in-law of the president-elect. “But I don’t know if he ultimately wants to go into politics. I think he sees himself as an outsider.
During the presidential campaign, Musk contributed about $200 million to America PAC, a super PAC aimed at reaching Trump voters online and in person in the seven most competitive states, which Trump swept. He also invested $20 million in a group called RBG PACwhich ran ads claiming Trump would not sign a national abortion ban, even though the former president had appointed three of the judges who overturned a federally guaranteed right to the procedure.
Musk’s donation to RBG PAC – a name that evokes the initials of former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a champion of abortion rights – was not revealed until post-election campaign materials. election results were made public on Thursday.
Musk said he hopes to keep America PAC funded and operating. Beyond that, he used his megaphone X to suggest he was at least open to challenging Trump’s less exuberant supporters in Congress.
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Another key Trump campaign ally has been more aggressive online. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose group Turning Point Action also worked to win over Trump voters, named the Republican senators he wants to target.
“This isn’t a joke, everyone. Funding is already being put together. Donors are calling like crazy. Primaries are going to be called,” Kirk said on his podcast, naming Senators Joni Ernst of Iowa, Jim Risch of Idaho, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Thom Tillis of North Carolina as potential targets. The seats of the four Republican senators will be allocated in 2026.
For now, Musk is basking in the glow of his latest conquest, joining Trump for high-profile meetings and galas at the future president’s resort home, Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida. The new administration is made up of Musk allies, including venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks, the White House’s “AI and crypto czar,” and Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire who bought a series of space flights from SpaceX from Musk, appointed to lead NASA. .
Musk could help bolster Trump’s agenda immediately, some Republican strategists said, using the America PAC to pressure top Republicans. Likewise, Musk could begin targeting moderate Democrats in key states and districts this spring, urging them to break with their party on key issues, Republican strategist Chris Pack said.
“Instead of using his influence to twist the arms of the Republican Party when you have majorities in both chambers, he could start going after Democrats who vote against Trump’s agenda in states where the election was up for grabs. a referendum for Trump,” said Pack, National’s former communications director. Republican Senate Committee. “Otherwise, if you put pressure on Republicans by having a primary, you might end up with a Republican who can’t win and then a Democrat in that seat.”
Linderman reported from Baltimore and Mendoza from Santa Cruz, California. Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press congressional correspondent in Washington, contributed to this report.