'Wiggle Room': Elon Musk's Claim He Won't Donate to Trump Called into Question
Musk hit back at Lemon and called his show 'CNN on social media.'
Mar. 7 2024, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Although Elon Musk announced that he will not donate to President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump following speculation fueled by a secret meeting with Republican donors, the tech billionaire's denial has been called into question by political analysts, RadarOnline.com can report.
"Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President," Musk wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, a day after the New York Times reported that he met with Trump in Palm Beach over the weekend.
A secret meeting between Elon Musk and Donald Trump in Florida fueled that the Tesla CEO could bankroll the former president's cash-strapped campaign.
Musk, who is currently the second-richest man in the world with an estimated net worth of nearly $200 billion, did not explicitly rule out donating to a political action committee or fund benefiting one of the candidates – which, unlike direct donations, are not necessarily subject to contribution limits.
Maggie Haberman, one of the New York Times correspondents who first reported the secret summit between the Tesla CEO and backers of Trump's cash-strapped campaign, addressed the uncertainty surrounding Musk's claims during an appearance on CNN's The Source With Kaitlan Collins on Wednesday night.
Kaitlan Collins and Maggie Haberman believe Musk could still give to a super PAC.
"Maggie, when you saw that tweet today from Elon Musk — I still call them tweets — how carefully worded do you think that that message was?" Collins asked. "Because I mean, he could theoretically give to a super PAC supporting a candidate without specifically giving to that candidate."
"Yeah, I think you're hitting on the issue here," Haberman replied. "He says 'to be clear.' Well, he's clear that he's not giving hard dollars to candidates. And I don't think anybody expected Elon Musk’s valuable $3,300 checks to be at issue here. I think the bigger issue is whether he would give money to a super PAC — or a dark money group, where they don’t have to disclose who their donors are. And he did not address either one of those. I think the statement left him some wiggle room."
"Now, that doesn’t mean that he will donate, Kaitlan," she added. "I could see a world where he doesn't write a big check, or any check. But that is the hope of people around Trump, is that he does ultimately give money."
"I have a lot of money,” Trump said earlier this week. "I can do what I want to do."
Trump's campaign has continued desperately seeking a cash infusion due to mounting legal fees and the $450 million civil fraud judgment that the embattled ex-president still owes the state of New York.
"I have a lot of money," Trump said earlier this week when asked about the $450 million civil fraud judgement by Fox News host Brian Kilmeade. "I can do what I want to do."
Elon Musk has become more politically vocal in recent years.
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While Musk has largely refrained from significant campaign donations in the past, he has become more politically vocal in recent years. The SpaceX founder, who has previously said that he voted for Biden in 2020, has seemingly shifted to the right of the political spectrum and has become openly critical of the Biden administration and its immigration policies.
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