Elon Musk appears to be returning to the Republican fold after a bitter public last year, with his political network preparing to spend at least $100 million to help Republican candidates in the November , according to The New York Times.
Musk has authorised his super PAC, , to spend between $100 million and $120 million on a new voter-turnout operation across at least eight states, The New York Times reported, citing people briefed on the plans.
The planned spending would mark a return to electoral politics for Musk, who spent nearly $300 million during the 2024 presidential campaign in support of Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Which states will Musk target?
According to The New York Times, America PAC initially plans to focus on Senate races in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan and Ohio. The group is also discussing contests in North Carolina, Georgia and Texas.
The PAC is expected to participate in House races in states including California, Wisconsin and Washington.
The group is also coordinating with conservative organisations involved in voter outreach, including Americans for Prosperity and the Sentinel Action Fund.
Musk-Trump relationship rebuilt after public feud
Musk’s planned political spending comes after a dramatic breakdown in his relationship with Trump in June last year.
Musk had joined Trump’s administration and overseen the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but the relationship deteriorated after the billionaire publicly criticised Trump’s major tax-and-spending legislation and attacked the Republican Party.
Musk also threatened to establish a third political party, which raised concerns among some of his advisers aligned with Republicans. However, he ultimately abandoned plans to launch the proposed America Party.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Vice President JD Vance played a significant role in keeping communication open between Musk and Trump’s allies. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, and other figures close to the administration also maintained ties with Musk.
The relationship gradually improved, with Musk eventually returning to the White House and later signalling his intention to support Republicans in the midterms.
Musk expected to play a less visible role
Despite his planned financial contribution, Musk is not expected to play as prominent a public role as he did during the 2024 presidential campaign, according to The New York Times.
He previously acknowledged that he had become too deeply involved in politics.
“I think I got a little too involved in politics. I got carried away, frankly,” Musk said in an interview with The Economist.
Musk’s America PAC is expected to focus heavily on field operations, including efforts to mobilise voters. Chris Young, Musk’s top political adviser who oversaw the PAC’s spending during the 2024 election, is again leading the effort, The New York Times reported.
Why the political reunion matters
The renewed alignment could benefit both Musk and Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal. Republicans face the prospect of Democratic investigations if Democrats regain control of Congress, while Musk’s companies rely heavily on government contracts.
The newspaper reported that a government review of SpaceX contracts initiated following the Trump-Musk feud found that most of the contracts were considered critical to the Department of Defense and NASA.
