Billionaire Elon Musk said he plans to donate about $45 million a month to a new pro-Trump political action committee, the Wall Street Journal reported. “More Silicon Valley CEOs are willing to support presidential candidate Donald Trump,” says US expert Kenneth Manusama.
Musk will support Trump’s campaign with a quarter of a billion dollars.
Modern U.S. presidential campaigns cost at least $1 billion, Manusama says. But even in this case, the contribution from Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X, is huge. “Especially since Trump’s chances have increased in recent days, this is a good boost for him,” Manusama says.
Musk and his colleagues believe that regulations put too much pressure on innovation.
The American expert assumes that behind the scenes there will be “back and forth communication” between Musk and the Trump team. “Although this is a super PAC, the PAC, to which the money goes, operates in principle independently and is not allowed to coordinate with the candidates themselves.”
swap
“There’s probably a quid pro quo behind the scenes, where Musk gives the money and a policy that’s favorable to him comes out when Trump is elected,” Manusama believes, though the two men are certainly on the same page. “That’s why Musk is supporting him.” So the expectation is that if Trump can implement his policies, Musk will benefit.
Moreover, Musk is not the only tech CEO who wants to donate money to Trump. “More and more Silicon Valley CEOs see Donald Trump, as well as the Supreme Court, as wanting to make room for businesses, and especially wanting to restrict the federal government,” says Manusama. “Musk and his colleagues believe that regulation puts too much pressure on innovation.” In addition, the American expert also sees more and more tech billionaires ideologically aligned with Trump.
unlimited money
In any case, money is a very important lever in a U.S. presidential campaign, Manusama says. “These super PACs can spend unlimited money, so their support is very important, and that’s the reality of a modern election campaign.”
The American expert sees a decline in support from lenders after President Joe Biden’s weaker performance during the debate. He says: “The gap between Biden and Trump has become very large.” “I fear that the doubts about Biden and the attack will give Trump the final push to win in November.”