Democrats rip Musk as billionaire takes leadership role in Trump campaign

Billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk draws attacks from top Democrats and concerns of election watchdogs as he searches for former President Trump in a crucial swing state.

Over the past week, Musk has crisscrossed the state of Pennsylvania, occupying four town halls in as many days and launching a controversial initiative. $1 Million Daily Giveaway to registered swing state voters until the end of the election.

Musk’s campaign has drawn ridicule and scorn from Democrats, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who mocked him for “skip like a dip –and replacing Senator JD Vance (R-Ohio) as Trump’s running mate.

“That man is literally the richest man in the world, spending millions of dollars to help Donald Trump buy an election,” Walz, Vice President Harris’ running mate, said at a rally in Wisconsin on Tuesday.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) similarly targeted Musk on Monday, accusing him of “dangling a million dollars on those of us and many of us who are struggling to make ends meet as they dance for him . ”

“They are laughing at us,” she said at a United Auto Workers (UAW) event in Pennsylvania, referring to Musk and Trump. “They think we’re the losers, and they’ve said so publicly. That’s why Elon Musk thinks a dollar can buy your vote.”

The tech mogul’s $1 million giveaways have also drawn criticism from campaign finance and legal experts, who questioned whether they could violate election law.

The DOJ reportedly sent a letter to Musk’s pro-Trump super PAC, America PAC, warning that his giveaways could violate federal laws against paying people to register to vote.

Adav Noti, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, noted in a statement Monday that it is illegal to buy votes or engage in voter registration and that the Department of Justice (DOJ) “has the power to enforce these important laws coerce through civil or criminal action. ”

“Elon Musk’s behavior is just the latest – and most egregious – example of wealthy special interests distorting our political process at the expense of ordinary voters,” Noti said.

“It is deeply problematic that the richest man in the world can throw his money around in an attempt to directly influence the outcome of this election,” he added. “This is not how our democracy should work.”

While some of the Super PAC’s groundbreaking election turnout tactics have faced backlash, political experts say Musk’s grassroots building efforts could be crucial to boosting Trump.

“At the end of the day, this is one giant turnout operation,” Republican strategist Alex Conant told The Hill.

“There are very few undecided voters, and whichever campaign does the best job of getting their low-propensity voters to the polls will win,” he continued. “To the extent that Musk is doing everything he can to convince voters who think he’s great and support Trump, that can only help.”

Musk’s America PAC, which received $75 million of the billionaire, has played a central role in the Trump campaign’s efforts to get out the vote in swing states.

In the final weeks leading up to the election, however, Musk has focused his attention on Pennsylvania — the state that many pollsters and analysts believe could decide the race.

A recent analysis from Decision Desk HQ gave the winner of Pennsylvania an 85 percent chance of securing the presidency.

Trump and Vice President Harris are currently locked in an extremely tight race. According to the polling average from Hill-Decision Desk headquarters, Harris is up 0.9 percent. However, Trump overtook Harris on Sunday as the slight favorite to win the election for the first time since the vice president entered the race in July.

Trump is also slightly favored to win Pennsylvania, according to The Hill-Decision Desk HQ’s forecast, although several recent polls have shown Harris leading the former president in the Keystone State.

Musk appeared to understand Pennsylvania’s central role in recent weeks, hosting events from Philadelphia to Harrisburg to Pittsburgh and urging Republicans to register and vote.

“I can’t emphasize enough that Pennsylvania, I think, is the linchpin in this election,” he said during his first town hall in Folsom, Pennsylvania. “These elections, I believe, will determine the fate of America, and along with the fate of America, the fate of Western civilization.”

Enthusiasm among the state’s Trump voters could be crucial if the race reaches a dead end, said Amy Dacey, executive director of the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics at American University.

“People saying they’re going to vote or people who have registered to vote doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to vote,” Dacey told The Hill. “A lot of this is just getting the voters you have committed to you to the polls.”

“That could certainly be something they’re trying to accomplish with Musk, to rally that base,” she added.

Musk brings out “people who may be wobbly voters, potential voters, potential non-voters, and gets them to vote for Trump,” said Republican strategist Brian Seitchik, noting that the billionaire “is more of an outing.” . voting instrument than an instrument of persuasion.”

The technology mogul has quickly become a central figure in the Trump campaign. Since first endorsing the former president in July, the billionaire has regularly used his massive platform on X, the social media site he owns, to boost Trump and criticize Harris.

He hosted Trump for a live interview on

Earlier this month, Musk joined Trump for a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — the site of the attempt on Trump’s life and the event that prompted the billionaire to share his support.

Musk, who literally jumped next to Trump in excitement, declared that he was “not just MAGA,” but “dark MAGA.” Shortly after, he announced he would be making more appearances in the Keystone State.

“It’s rare for billionaires to go so all-in on a political candidate,” Conant said. “It’s not unusual for them to write checks, but it’s incredibly unusual for them to actually create their own campaigns and go out on their own.”

Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania (D) concerns expressed earlier this month about Trump’s popularity in his home state and Musk’s appeal as he campaigns for the former president.

“Most endorsements don’t count for much in this business, but Musk is … incredibly popular, and he has appeal to a demographic that Democrats struggle with,” Fetterman told “The Hill Sunday.”

“To some people the way they see him, that’s Tony Stark,” he added, referring to the alias for the fictional Marvel superhero Iron Man. “He is the richest man in the world, and he is undeniably a brilliant man.”

Seitchik suggested that Musk’s unique position as a smart and exceptionally wealthy Trump backer could create a “permission structure” for others to vote for the former president.

“(He) shows people who see themselves as educated, rich and smart – and despite many forces saying it’s not smart, the same person can vote for Trump, which is clearly not true – he refutes that and says, ‘Look , I’m the richest man in the world, one of… the smartest men in the world,’ and he’s such an avid Trump supporter,” Seitchik said.

“I have to believe that this will push some of those suburban voters, who may or may not have bought Teslas, but certainly admire Musk and what he has accomplished, to go to the polls on Election Day,” he added.

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