Elon Musk Fully Supports Trump
The surprising MAGA tycoon is challenging the limits of what social media platforms and influential figures have historically achieved in the political arena.
TroibNews 
Elon Musk is aggressively supporting former President Donald Trump today, utilizing his platform X to encourage voter turnout for Trump, criticize the “legacy media,” and forecast a “landslide” victory for the GOP in Pennsylvania. This situation offers a glimpse into the implications of a global social media platform endorsing a particular party and candidate.
Over the last 24 hours, users of X have been greeted by an animated, larger-than-life Trump featured prominently in the “trending” section under the #VotedForTrump campaign, which is “Promoted by Team Trump.”
Musk has leveraged his account, which boasts 200 million followers, to promote his pro-Trump podcast episode with Joe Rogan, share provocative QAnon-related memes that align with his vision of a macho, retrofuturistic Trumpism, and amplify claims that Google and ChatGPT are displaying favoritism towards Vice President Kamala Harris. Notably, the platform suspended the “Swap Your Vote” account, a progressive initiative designed to connect Harris voters in solidly blue states with protest voters in swing states.
While other social media companies have tried to maintain a less politically charged image, Musk is taking a starkly different approach.
“What Elon Musk is doing with X seems far beyond any of the accusations Republicans have tossed at, say, Facebook and Google in the past,” remarked James Pethokoukis, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Musk is specifically targeting young male voters, aiming to inspire their support for Trump’s current presidential campaign. Shortly after noon, he tweeted, “The cavalry has arrived. Men are voting in record numbers. They now realize everything is at stake.”
The Rogan podcast episode represents a targeted effort to engage that demographic. The “Joe Rogan Experience” has an audience that is 80 percent male, with 51 percent aged between 18 and 34. In a surprising moment last night, Musk managed to secure a Trump endorsement from Rogan, who echoed Musk’s various conspiracy theories, asserting, “if we don’t elect Trump, I think we will lose democracy in this country, we will lose the two-party system.”
Separating Musk's promotion from organic popularity on X is challenging due to its algorithm-driven nature. However, a report by the Wall Street Journal last week indicated that the platform's algorithm tends to favor political content, particularly pro-Trump sentiments. Musk himself has spread misinformation regarding President Joe Biden’s administration's response to hurricane relief efforts in October. He frequently positions his leadership at X as a counterbalance to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which he believes cater more to Democrats.
The execution of these efforts has not been flawless; for instance, a planned digital town hall featuring Musk was abruptly canceled shortly after its commencement due to technical issues.
The distinctions between Musk/X and other major social media platforms extend beyond moderation strategies to fundamental operational philosophies: Should a platform follow the directives of a charismatic leader with personal goals, or adopt a more traditional consensus-based approach aimed at sustainable international business? While most platforms opt for the latter, Musk clearly favors the former, albeit at a significant cost: X has seen a decline of 80 percent in its value since he acquired it.
Musk’s political expressions are protected under the First Amendment, much like the New York Times' endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Furthermore, despite intense debates in recent years regarding the government’s role in social media moderation, X operates as a private platform and is not bound by requirements for fairness or equal opportunity.
However, Musk’s foray into political campaigning is more expansive and potentially more disruptive than actions taken by traditional media companies. The New York Times isn’t running a million-dollar “sweepstakes” to encourage voter registration or implementing a significant get-out-the-vote initiative in critical swing states, nor is it allocating tens of millions of dollars to back a candidate. By utilizing a major social media platform as a partisan tool to court a non-traditional voter base, Musk stays true to his disruptive ethos—creating a unique media and campaign hybrid.
Edward Foley, director of election law at Ohio State University, mentioned that whether Musk’s activities on X amount to illegal collaboration with the Trump campaign depends on the level of coordination between the two entities and the ability of a “dysfunctional” Federal Election Commission to enforce regulations.
“If X were coordinating with the Trump campaign, that would be an illegal contribution under federal law,” Foley noted. However, he pointed out that even if a complaint surfaced, the FEC's bipartisan makeup often leads to deadlock, stalling enforcement of pertinent regulations.
Even with potential inaction from the FEC, political ramifications might arise: social media platforms have faced scrutiny in Washington over bias, safety, and their roles during instances of foreign interference.
Thus, Musk is taking a considerable political and business risk, betting on the effectiveness of X in shaping public discourse. If Trump wins reelection, Musk can claim to have unleashed a pent-up demand for his particular style of political dialogue that has been stifled by a liberal establishment.
Conversely, if Trump loses, Musk’s assertion to Tucker Carlson that he’s “fucked” in the event of a Democratic victory might exaggerate the situation, considering his extensive government contracts. However, it’s easy to foresee a political backlash against the explicit use of social media platforms in favor of singular candidates.
Regardless of whether Musk sees a Trump comeback or four additional years of Democratic leadership, his strategic deployment of X as a focused electoral tool for young, right-wing-leaning followers is unprecedented and presents a unique case without a direct historical parallel. The impact of social media on American politics—particularly in this context—has clearly arrived.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
Over the last 24 hours, users of X have been greeted by an animated, larger-than-life Trump featured prominently in the “trending” section under the #VotedForTrump campaign, which is “Promoted by Team Trump.”
Musk has leveraged his account, which boasts 200 million followers, to promote his pro-Trump podcast episode with Joe Rogan, share provocative QAnon-related memes that align with his vision of a macho, retrofuturistic Trumpism, and amplify claims that Google and ChatGPT are displaying favoritism towards Vice President Kamala Harris. Notably, the platform suspended the “Swap Your Vote” account, a progressive initiative designed to connect Harris voters in solidly blue states with protest voters in swing states.
While other social media companies have tried to maintain a less politically charged image, Musk is taking a starkly different approach.
“What Elon Musk is doing with X seems far beyond any of the accusations Republicans have tossed at, say, Facebook and Google in the past,” remarked James Pethokoukis, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Musk is specifically targeting young male voters, aiming to inspire their support for Trump’s current presidential campaign. Shortly after noon, he tweeted, “The cavalry has arrived. Men are voting in record numbers. They now realize everything is at stake.”
The Rogan podcast episode represents a targeted effort to engage that demographic. The “Joe Rogan Experience” has an audience that is 80 percent male, with 51 percent aged between 18 and 34. In a surprising moment last night, Musk managed to secure a Trump endorsement from Rogan, who echoed Musk’s various conspiracy theories, asserting, “if we don’t elect Trump, I think we will lose democracy in this country, we will lose the two-party system.”
Separating Musk's promotion from organic popularity on X is challenging due to its algorithm-driven nature. However, a report by the Wall Street Journal last week indicated that the platform's algorithm tends to favor political content, particularly pro-Trump sentiments. Musk himself has spread misinformation regarding President Joe Biden’s administration's response to hurricane relief efforts in October. He frequently positions his leadership at X as a counterbalance to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, which he believes cater more to Democrats.
The execution of these efforts has not been flawless; for instance, a planned digital town hall featuring Musk was abruptly canceled shortly after its commencement due to technical issues.
The distinctions between Musk/X and other major social media platforms extend beyond moderation strategies to fundamental operational philosophies: Should a platform follow the directives of a charismatic leader with personal goals, or adopt a more traditional consensus-based approach aimed at sustainable international business? While most platforms opt for the latter, Musk clearly favors the former, albeit at a significant cost: X has seen a decline of 80 percent in its value since he acquired it.
Musk’s political expressions are protected under the First Amendment, much like the New York Times' endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Furthermore, despite intense debates in recent years regarding the government’s role in social media moderation, X operates as a private platform and is not bound by requirements for fairness or equal opportunity.
However, Musk’s foray into political campaigning is more expansive and potentially more disruptive than actions taken by traditional media companies. The New York Times isn’t running a million-dollar “sweepstakes” to encourage voter registration or implementing a significant get-out-the-vote initiative in critical swing states, nor is it allocating tens of millions of dollars to back a candidate. By utilizing a major social media platform as a partisan tool to court a non-traditional voter base, Musk stays true to his disruptive ethos—creating a unique media and campaign hybrid.
Edward Foley, director of election law at Ohio State University, mentioned that whether Musk’s activities on X amount to illegal collaboration with the Trump campaign depends on the level of coordination between the two entities and the ability of a “dysfunctional” Federal Election Commission to enforce regulations.
“If X were coordinating with the Trump campaign, that would be an illegal contribution under federal law,” Foley noted. However, he pointed out that even if a complaint surfaced, the FEC's bipartisan makeup often leads to deadlock, stalling enforcement of pertinent regulations.
Even with potential inaction from the FEC, political ramifications might arise: social media platforms have faced scrutiny in Washington over bias, safety, and their roles during instances of foreign interference.
Thus, Musk is taking a considerable political and business risk, betting on the effectiveness of X in shaping public discourse. If Trump wins reelection, Musk can claim to have unleashed a pent-up demand for his particular style of political dialogue that has been stifled by a liberal establishment.
Conversely, if Trump loses, Musk’s assertion to Tucker Carlson that he’s “fucked” in the event of a Democratic victory might exaggerate the situation, considering his extensive government contracts. However, it’s easy to foresee a political backlash against the explicit use of social media platforms in favor of singular candidates.
Regardless of whether Musk sees a Trump comeback or four additional years of Democratic leadership, his strategic deployment of X as a focused electoral tool for young, right-wing-leaning followers is unprecedented and presents a unique case without a direct historical parallel. The impact of social media on American politics—particularly in this context—has clearly arrived.
Olivia Brown contributed to this report for TROIB News
