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Elon Musk, from donor to direct player in Donald Trump’s campaign

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on stage during an event in support of former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania on October 18, 2024. RYAN COLLERD / AFP

A million dollars. This is what Pennsylvania voters who signed Elon Musk’s petition in favor of freedom of expression and the right to bear arms could win every day in the lottery, provided they are registered on the lists electoral. The billionaire presented his first check to a lucky, amazed winner on Saturday evening, October 19, during one of his meetings in Harrisburg (Pennsylvania).

The owner of network He is increasing the number of rallies in the state of Pennsylvania, key to the outcome of the American presidential election on November 5, and his latest initiative is causing an outcry. It is located at the limits of the law, with methods that come close to buying votes or electoral registrations.

The process recalls the “political machines”these organizations which bought votes from Chicago to New York more than a century ago. Elon Musk always goes further and ends up scaring people. In the presidential campaign, the Tesla boss who calls himself libertarian dethroned Donald Trump in the role of the “bad guy”, the dangerous man to be stopped at all costs. A sort of younger alter ego, who dances as badly as the former president, uncomfortable in his body, Elon Musk is adored by Republicans and hated by Democrats, from whom he receives 62% and 6% respectively. % positive opinions according to a September poll for NBC.

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“Elon Musk is out of control,” accuses in a column in the British daily The GuardianBill Clinton’s former labor secretary Robert Reich, who accuses him of “rapidly transforming its immense wealth into an immense source of political power without having to be held accountable”.

Curious mix

Has an unelected man ever had as much power in the United States as Elon Musk? The South African native is indeed the richest man in the world with a fortune estimated at $250 billion; he influences the global agora with his X network which relays his ideas to the far right and serves as a loudspeaker for the Trump campaign; he finances it to the tune of 75 million dollars and will be entrusted, announced Donald Trump, with a “ government effectiveness commission » responsible for leading “a financial audit” of the federal government to then do and “drastic reforms”. He is part of a cabal against federal regulations, accused of hindering the development of his firm SpaceX, leader in the space sector, and hopes to have returns in the form of contracts and regulatory relief if Donald Trump returns to power.

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