Elon Musk Keeps His Wallet Open for GOP

Elon Musk is still writing very large checks to help Republicans in 2026. Politico reports the SpaceX and Tesla chief poured another $76 million into his America PAC in the first half of October, lifting his total spending this cycle above $442 million—an amount with no modern precedent for a single donor. America PAC has flooded competitive House and Senate races with digital ads, mailers, and texts, even as Republicans keep Musk at arm's length on the trail after he became a liability in a 2025 Wisconsin judicial race.

Musk's cash has been crucial: $158 million routed to Senate Republicans ultimately boosted Texas AG Ken Paxton in a tight Senate race, drawing fire from Democrat James Talarico, who has said there's something "deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal U.S. Senator," notes Forbes. Musk has also put his money behind House GOP efforts, President Trump's MAGA Inc., and a push to scrap Alaska's ranked-choice voting.