United States | Elon Musk bets everything on Donald Trump: what is at stake in this alliance?

That was the first time Musk joined Trump on stage, but the world’s richest man’s support for the Republican candidate for the White House is not in dispute. The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla has been actively and openly involved in his campaign, personally directing the actions of a super PAC that has contributed tens of millions of dollars to mobilize the Republican’s voters, something he complements with a public defense unwavering and constant of his candidacy.

You only need to review the most recent publications of the South African – naturalized American in 2002 – on Joined. He also frequently states that an eventual victory of Democrat Kamala Harris in the November 5 elections would pose an existential threat to humanity, since, according to him, the former prosecutor represents an “oppressive and large” government, which does not allow progress. .

“That’s the biggest issue why I think Trump should win. Unless we become multiplanetary, it is simply a matter of time before a natural or man-made calamity destroys life on Earth, just as it did with the dinosaurs. This choice is existential for life as we know it,” he says in one of his publications that has accumulated almost nine million views on X.

Media outlets and organizations that have analyzed this content agree that Musk, like Trump, appeals to inaccurate data or openly lies to defend his position, such as when he claims that Democrats are trying to fill the country with undocumented immigrants or that The United States will have a single party if Trump loses. The Center to Counter Digital Hate revealed in August that 50 misleading posts by the businessman related to the White House elections accumulated 1.2 billion views on X between January and July.

For Nevena Trajkov, president of the Department of Political Science at Jacksonville University (Florida), the most surprising thing about Musk’s involvement in the Trump campaign is his complete alignment with the former president’s rhetoric and falsehoods on immigration, despite of being a South African immigrant himself.

“If you spend a few minutes on X, you’ll get the impression that Musk is determined to use his social media influence and considerable wealth to bolster the Trump campaign, especially by targeting to El Comercio.

Who bosses who?

Musk is the only tech guru to have engaged at such a high level in the campaign for the White House. Eduardo Gamarra, professor of Political Science at Florida International University, explains that there have always been big businessmen financing different campaigns, but never with this degree of involvement.

“Usually a businessman gives the money, but he doesn’t want to be ahead, he takes great care not to get totally burned if his candidate loses. Musk’s case is very different. He has immersed himself fully in the campaign and says whatever he wants because he is the autocrat of the industry. No one is going to question him about anything within his companies,” he tells this newspaper.

Trump has been able to take advantage of this and, despite the fact that Republicans usually denounce the influence of technology in politics, the former president has embraced Musk as a necessary ally and has even offered him to head a government efficiency commission if he wins the election. “Musk brings in a lot of money at a time when he needs it. Until July he had given more than 45 million dollars and he has given and will give much more. That’s very important this month. The candidates are going to put all the money in the final stretch, particularly in the pivotal states,” says Gamarra.

In terms of public opinion, the expert believes that Musk’s support for Trump will not attract new voters for the Republican and will only help him with his most loyal followers.

The question that remains is why Musk has bet all his chips on Trump. Although at first level some similarities are obvious, such as their conservative positions and political values, we must not forget that the South African is a businessman. In addition to amassing the largest fortune on the planet, Musk has become an extraordinarily innovative technological leader, with a presence in very varied industries and has invested an enormous amount of money in working with the US Government. A few days ago, he presented Tesla’s robotaxi, a car capable of driving itself, while SpaceX remains at the forefront of the space industry.

“Musk is a private businessman, a right-wing man who sees the State as something that should be minimal. He thinks there are too many regulations that are affecting innovation, investment, etc. and that, in some way, would explain his approach to Trump,” explains Gamarra.

Paradoxically, Trajkov points out that although Musk’s participation could encourage Trump’s base, especially through his influence on social networks and his financial contributions, his positions could work against the former president with the voters who will be key in these elections. “Their polarizing messages, which spread and reinforce controversial claims, risk alienating moderate voters, particularly registered independents. “This demographic is crucial to Trump’s success in swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan,” he says.

The truth is that there is a lot at stake for both. In a recent interview in which he mocked Harris, Musk used a phrase that well sums up the level of his support for Trump. “If he loses, I’m screwed,” he said.