Elon Musk jumping for joy behind Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last weekend was just one of many of the images from the 2024 presidential race that would have been difficult to process a decade ago.
Wearing a black MAGA hat, the billionaire Tesla, X and SpaceX CEO joined Trump on stage, as clear evidence yet of their growing alliance in the final stretch of the election.
Since officially endorsing Trump in July, shortly after a failed assassination attempt on the same spot, Musk has become an influential and deep-pocketed advisor to the former president. He is said to speak with Trump multiple times per week and has begun to shovel money into GOP get-out-the-vote operations.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Musk, who until his transformation was known as a centrist Democrat who had previously met with former President Obama on several occasions, has said his turn toward Trump is driven by concerns about what he views as threats to free speech and American democracy under potential Democratic leadership.
“This will be the last election” if Trump doesn’t win, Musk warned in language that has turned increasingly fatalistic in recent weeks. On X, the platform he acquired in 2021, he has frequently posted dire warnings about what he sees as the effects of progressive policies and censorship.
His involvement in Trump’s campaign extends beyond rhetoric. As the election enters its final phase, Musk is leveraging his influence as one of the most famous people in America to mobilize voters for perhaps the one man more famous than him, as well as other Republicans.
This effort has led him to make substantial financial contributions to political groups, including his own America PAC, where he has already invested $80 million to support Trump’s campaign, with plans to expand the budget to between $140 million and $180 million.
Musk’s role in the campaign is closely tied to his potential influence in a future Trump administration. Trump has indicated that, if re-elected, he would appoint Musk to lead a “government efficiency commission”. That would be significant shift for the entrepreneur who once vowed not to donate to any political campaigns. Now, he has invested tens of millions of his own vast wealth into Trump’s campaign and has openly theorized that he’s “f—ed” if Trump loses.
Musk’s endorsement of Trump has sparked speculation that his political alignment may be driven by the regulatory pressures his businesses have faced under the Biden administration.
Since Biden took office, scrutiny of Musk’s various ventures has intensified, with investigations and actions from at least seven federal agencies along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, ranging from allegations of discrimination to environmental compliance concerns.
Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
For some, Musk’s political pivot is seen as a strategic move to reshape the regulatory landscape should Trump win. Supporting Trump, who has pledged to reduce if not eliminate regulatory oversight, could offer Musk relief from the increased scrutiny his companies have faced under the current administration.
“How long do you think my prison sentence is going to be?” Musk asked Tucker Carlson this month, speculating on the outcome of a potential Trump loss.
Below is a summary of the key cases the Biden White House has initiated against Musk’s companies:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) vs. Tesla
Ongoing since 2021, NHTSA has conducted multiple investigations into crashes involving Tesla’s self-driving Autopilot system. These investigations aim to determine whether the Autopilot features meet federal safety standards and how effectively they respond to various driving conditions. The agency’s findings have raised concerns about the safety of Tesla’s autonomous driving technology.
NHTSA has found that Autopilot has a “critical safety gap” and that it contributed to at least 467 collisions, 13 fatalities and many serious injuries between January 2018 and August 2023.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) vs. Tesla
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Tesla have had a number of interactions, including lawsuits, settlements and disagreements over social media posts.
In 2021, Biden’s second year, the SEC opened an investigation into Tesla over a whistleblower complaint that the company failed to properly notify its shareholders and the public of fire risks associated with solar panel system defects over several years.
Also, the SEC has intended to seek sanctions against Musk after he failed to appear for court-ordered testimony for the regulator’s probe into his $44 billion takeover of Twitter in 2022.
SEC vs. Musk
The SEC is investigating potential securities law violations by Musk in early 2022, focusing on his accumulation of Twitter stock. The inquiry aims to determine whether Musk or his associates engaged in securities fraud while he sold shares of Tesla and built up a stake in Twitter. This activity occurred prior to his eventual leveraged buyout of Twitter, now rebranded as X.
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) vs. Tesla
In a suit filed in March 2023, the NLRB accused Tesla of discouraging workers at a Buffalo, New York, assembly plant from union organizing by barring them from using phones and other devices. A NLRB official issued a complaint claiming Tesla’s workplace rule banning personal technology use, recording, and storing or sharing content violated U.S. labor law.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) vs. SpaceX
The FWS has raised concerns about SpaceX’s rocket launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, which is home to important habitats for migratory birds and the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. A rocket launch in Boca Chica reportedly destroyed bird nests and caused fires on nearby public land.
JIM WATSON/Getty Images
In December 2020, SpaceX launched a rocket without authorization, which appeared to be the first instance of the Musk’s space exploration company drawing the ire of the FWS. The FAA allowed SpaceX to self-investigate the incident, but did not share the results with its counterparts in FWS.
U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York vs. Tesla
In June 2023, the Justice Department launched an investigation into possible financial misconduct at Tesla, focusing on whether the company improperly used resources to build a luxury glass structure, dubbed the “glass house,” for Musk’s personal use. The probe centers on the potential misuse of funds, lack of transparency in financial filings, and any governance issues or conflicts of interest that could impact shareholders.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) vs. Tesla
Announced in July 2023, the FTC’s investigations into Tesla focus on the company’s business practices, particularly in its solar panel operations and advertising claims. The commission is examining whether Tesla engaged in misleading advertising, deceptive practices in selling and installing solar panels, and inadequate handling of consumer complaints and refunds.
Department of Justice vs. SpaceX
The DOJ lawsuit against SpaceX, filed on August 24, 2023, alleges that the company discriminated against asylum seekers and refugees in its hiring practices. This case is part of a broader initiative by the DOJ to enforce anti-discrimination laws and ensure that all individuals, regardless of their immigration status, have equal employment opportunities.
SpaceX countersued the government on constitutional grounds, saying it had hired hundreds of non-citizens and noting that the company’s rocket technology fell under military technology regulations. A judge sided with SpaceX, blocking the DOJ from pursuing the case.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) vs. SpaceX
Throughout 2023, the FAA has delayed approving SpaceX’s Starship launches due to concerns about environmental compliance. These compliance issues are primarily related to the ecological impact of high-frequency launches on local ecosystems and wildlife habitats. The FAA requires SpaceX to conduct thorough environmental assessments and take necessary actions to mitigate any potential harm.
There have been other tense interactions between the administration and Musk’s companies, as well. In 2022, the FCC denied Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet unit, nearly $900 million in federal subsidies for rural broadband connectivity.
The government argued the technology was “unreliable.” (Starlink has gone on to become a critical tool for Ukraine on the battlefield, as well as in parts of Appalachia that were devastated by Hurricane Helene last month — the same rural areas that the FCC had earlier blocked Starlink from receiving federal money to service.)
In a remarkable rebuke of his own agency’s decision, the FCC’s commissioner, a Republican, said it “certainly fits the Biden Administration’s pattern of regulatory harassment.”
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
But perhaps the incident that best reflects the administration’s friction with Musk came in August 2021, when the White House put together a summit on the future of electric vehicles.
Musk’s Tesla, which at that point was producing about three-quarters of the EVs on U.S. roads, was conspicuously not invited.
“I’ll let you draw your own conclusion,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked why Musk was left out.
