How Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump may have backfired? Elon Musk backed former President Donald Trump in an attempt to improve his chances of winning in November. However, once Musk formally endorsed Trump more than a month ago, a number of Democratic criticisms have implied that the endorsement has shown a weakness.
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How Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump may have backfired
Since the tech mogul gave Trump his support on July 13, Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign has consistently criticized Musk for his anti-worker views. Trump and Musk have been referred to by the campaign as "self-obsessed rich guys," and audio from an event on Musk's social media app, X, in which the two joke about firing striking employees, has been uploaded.
Harris allies, including Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, have responded with their own assaults, and some Democratic strategists appear ready to continue stressing the Musk-Trump connection, which they see as reinforcing Trump's weaknesses.
"Every time Elon Musk tries to help Donald Trump, I believe it energizes the Democratic base to oppose him," said Pete Giangreco, a Democratic strategist based in Chicago.
"If you've got a billionaire helping out someone who says he's a billionaire, but really isn't, what does that really get you?" He said.
Musk did not respond to a request for comment about the Democrats' attacks or the significance of his backing.
Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump
Musk's endorsement was expected to hit the Trump campaign like a lightning bolt. He made the announcement on the same day that the former president survived an attempted assassination. His endorsement indicated that Trump would have all of the funding and social media firepower he needed to reclaim the White House, and it contributed to the idea that Trump had won over a sizable portion of America's IT industry and entrepreneur class.
Given Musk's unparalleled riches, notoriety, and media influence, his endorsement was undoubtedly the most high-profile and sought-after of the election cycle.
However, the weeks afterward have been characterized by blunders and wasted opportunities. The two men publicly clashed about how much money Musk would provide. Musk's super PAC saw a dramatic staff shakeup shortly after its inception. Many other Big Tech donors have declined to follow Musk's approach, instead supporting Harris' campaign.
Then there was the live one-on-one discussion on X, which Trump's team described as "the interview of the century." Midway through the two-hour event, Trump mentioned how much he admires Musk's treatment of labor unions.
"I observe what you do. You walk in and just say, 'You wanna quit?'" Trump said, laughing.
"Yeah," Musk interrupted, laughing.
"They go on strike," Trump added. "I won't name the company, but they go on strike, and you say, 'That's fine; you're all gone.'" You are all gone, thus each of you is gone. And you're the greatest."
The Harris campaign promptly responded to the interaction with a post on X that has been seen 7.2 million times. It has mentioned the exchange at least three times since.
"Trump's entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself — self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024," the Harris campaign noted in a statement shortly after the event. (Technical issues caused a 40-minute delay in the event.)
The situation got out of control. The United Auto Workers union accused Musk and Trump of engaging in unfair labor practices by interfering with employees' ability to exercise their rights to work. In media interviews, UAW's Fain pressed the matter. You cannot be pro-Elon Musk and pro-worker at the same time, stated Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su at a DNC event.
During his July speech at the Republican National Convention, Sean O'Brien, the general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, denounced Trump and Musk's remarks as "economic terrorism."
The 1935 National Labor Relations Act guarantees the right to strike for American workers.
According to Republican-leaning campaign consultant Chuck Coughlin, some members of the Democratic base are expected to become more motivated by the criticism of labor unions.
"I would also rely on that if I were the Harris campaign," he remarked.
Fox News conducted a poll from August 9–12, and among those who live in union households, Harris leads Trump by 10 points.
According to Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican strategist in Texas, Democrats appear to be using the same script they employed in 2012 to beat Mitt Romney, who likewise appeared to be nonchalant about job cuts.
"They want to make Trump, Elon and people like them look like plutocrats," he told CNN.
According to Steinhauser, Republicans risk having their message resonate in strong union states like Michigan.
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