Republicans face a future without Elon Musk’s money
by Julia Mueller - 05/26/25 11:57 AM ET
Tech billionaire Elon Musk is prompting questions about his next steps as he signals he might wind down his political activity.
Last week, the Tesla CEO said he’s planning to scale back his spending after injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the 2024 election, a big potential blow for GOP campaign coffers moving forward.
The announcement comes as Musk also cools his involvement in the Trump White House to turn more attention to his businesses — even as voices on both sides of the aisle are skeptical that the megadonor will make a full exit from politics.
“Anytime the biggest donor says he’s going to pull back, that’s a concern for the party,” GOP strategist Alex Conant said.
“These megadonors, you have to earn their support every cycle. The party can’t and doesn’t take them for granted. He says he’s planning to pull back, but if we have a presidential nominee in ‘28 that excites Musk, you could see him doubling down.”
Musk, the world’s richest man with a staggering $420 billion net worth, according to Forbes, spent at least $250 million through his America PAC to boost President Trump. Now that Trump is back in the Oval Office, Musk has embraced an unprecedented role in the new Republican administration.
The tech mogul was tapped to lead Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, championing controversial cost-cutting and workforce-reducing moves that have sent shockwaves throughout the federal government.
Musk keeps an office in the White House complex, has slept over in the Lincoln Bedroom and has characterized his relationship with the president as “good friends.” He’s even stolen the spotlight in Cabinet meetings — though, as a special government employee, he is not a formal member of that inner circle.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5316761-musk-winds-down-political-spending-efforts/
