Musk Deletes Election Day Plea to Vote Republican
Musk’s Election Day message urging voters to back Republicans was no longer visible on his X timeline on November 4, the day after Democrats made major gains in the midterm elections. He did not immediately explain why it was removed. An earlier pinned Republican voting appeal was also reported deleted, while other recent posts remained online.
Musk posted two jokes about the results on X. “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time,” he wrote in one. In another, he said space-based data centers looked appealing. He later posted about technology projects including Starlink and Grok.
Musk spent more than $440 million supporting Republican candidates during the midterm cycle, including about $224 million on Texas Republicans. Another estimate put his overall spending at roughly $474 million. He also used X to criticize Democratic candidates, including James Talarico, who won Texas’s Senate race by 13 points. Since 1988, no Democrat had held a Senate seat for Texas; Talarico will be the first.
The election could affect policy, regulation and government contracts relevant to Musk’s businesses. Tesla and SpaceX shares fell on November 4 as investors assessed the results, and data-center companies also came under pressure. Other Texas-based technology figures and hosts of the All-In podcast publicly lamented the Republican losses.
Musk’s Massive Midterm Spending Fails as Democrats Surge
Elon Musk poured hundreds of millions of dollars into Republican races, then watched Democrats make major gains in the November 3 midterms. On November 4, his X post urging voters to “Vote red on Election Day!” was no longer on his timeline. An earlier pinned Republican appeal was also reported deleted.
The outcome is a striking rejection of Musk’s attempt to use immense wealth and a powerful social media platform to influence elections. He spent more than $440 million backing Republicans, with roughly $224 million directed toward Texas Republicans. Another estimate put his total spending at around $474 million.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico won by 13 points, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator since 1988. Musk had used X to attack Talarico, while his election-day message urged voters toward the opposing party.
Musk responded to the results with jokes about “election-interfering space lasers” and the appeal of data centers in space. The election could shape regulation, policy and government contracts affecting his businesses. Tesla and SpaceX shares fell on November 4 as investors weighed the results. The stakes extend beyond campaign spending: voters’ choices can influence the public rules governing powerful companies.
Democrats’ Midterm Gains Put Musk’s Businesses in Political Crosshairs
The midterm results delivered major gains for Democrats and a setback for Elon Musk, who spent more than $440 million supporting Republican candidates. His X post urging voters to “Vote red on Election Day!” was gone from his timeline on November 4; an earlier pinned Republican appeal was also reported deleted.
Musk’s spending included about $224 million on Texas Republicans, while another estimate placed his overall midterm outlay at roughly $474 million. Yet James Talarico won Texas’s Senate race by 13 points, becoming the first Democrat to take a Senate seat there since 1988.
Musk joked on X that his “election-interfering space lasers” had failed and said data centers in space looked appealing. His posts show him taking the result with humor, but the consequences may be serious for his companies: the election could affect regulation, policy and government contracts. Tesla and SpaceX shares fell on November 4 as investors considered the outcome.
The results put a new political balance in place at a moment when decisions in Washington could matter to Musk’s businesses. His substantial support for Republican candidates did not prevent Democrats’ gains, leaving the policy and regulatory landscape ahead a key concern for investors.
Reported by Business Insider, The Daily Beast, The New Republic.
