### Elon Musk’s Bold Political Maneuvers Boost Trump’s Campaign

Elon Musk, known for his boundary-pushing behavior, offered significant financial incentives to potential voters, including $1 million gifts for those who signed a petition supporting free speech and the right to bear arms. This stunt drew significant publicity despite legal scrutiny from the district attorney of Philadelphia and doubts from the Justice Department, which has not yet challenged the effort in court.

Musk emerged as a prominent cheerleader and surrogate for Donald Trump. Using his highly-followed account on the social media platform X, Musk became a pro-Trump megaphone, disseminating misinformation about voter fraud and conspiracy theories. Although Trump campaign officials appreciated Musk's support, there was some unease among senior campaign members about relying heavily on him.

Musk's involvement was extensive. He received daily reports on early voting numbers and assembled a team that included traditional Republican operatives and personal friends. Steve Davis, one of Musk’s trusted lieutenants, played a key role, providing detailed feedback on canvassing scripts, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Despite encountering staffing challenges over the summer, Musk quickly scaled his program, assigning state directors to each battleground state and deploying door-knocking firms to identify infrequent Trump voters. His super PAC also launched a phone call initiative in the final days to encourage even "mid-propensity" voters to support Trump.

In early October, Musk decided to merge his personal brand with America PAC, seeing the close race in Pennsylvania as an opportunity to bolster resources, including his own time and presence in the state. However, the operation faced issues; accusations of fraud among canvassers and software glitches disrupted efforts in Wisconsin and Nevada.

Efforts to bolster door-knocking in the final days fell short, particularly in Michigan and Wisconsin, where labor shortages persisted despite financial incentives offered to canvassers. While Musk claimed success for a surge in voter registration and early voting among Republicans in Pennsylvania, other entities like Americans for Prosperity, funded by Charles Koch, also significantly contributed by knocking on a million doors in the state.

As the campaign drew to a close, Musk's active participation dwindled. He canceled a town hall event and skipped another before hosting a conference call on X Spaces later on. Mike DuHaime, a former Republican National Committee official, expressed concern about the influence of big-money donors on politics, suggesting that campaigns and political parties should retain financial control to remain accountable to voters.

Despite some operational setbacks, Musk and Trump appeared to forge a lasting political alliance, as evidenced by Trump's praise of Musk in his victory speech. As his plane landed near Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday night, Musk declared on an X livestream that his super PAC would continue to be active in future judicial races and the 2026 midterms. The collaboration between Musk and Trump might just signal a new era of influential donor involvement in American politics.