- Donald Trump met with Elon Musk on Sunday, The New York Times reported.
- The Times, citing three anonymous sources, reported that President Trump is looking for new donors.
- A source told the Times that President Trump also praised the billionaire.
Former President Donald Trump met in Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday with Elon Musk, who is seeking more donors for his re-election bid, The New York Times reported, citing three anonymous sources familiar with the meeting. It was reported as.
Several wealthy Republican donors also attended, the newspaper reported, as the Trump campaign is actively seeking major donors. The fall general election is almost certain to be a rematch between President Trump and President Joe Biden.
Trump's donor support comes as President Joe Biden continues to save money ahead of his predecessor before major campaign spending begins in earnest. Biden's campaign started last month with $56 million on hand for him, while Trump's campaign had just over $30 million on hand. Mr. Trump and his allies also spend a lot of money on litigation, with pro-Trump PACs spending more than $52 million on legal fees last year alone.
A source who spoke to Trump about Musk told the Times that Musk is a fan of the billionaire and would like to meet him one-on-one.
It's unclear whether Musk plans to donate to the Trump campaign.
Mr. Musk is an interesting option for potential major donors. The tech mogul may have shelled out more than $44 billion to buy Twitter, but the once richest man has historically spent relatively little on global political causes.
According to OpenSecrets, he spent $725,750 on political campaigns for candidates from both parties from 2004 to 2020. Just one comparison: Billionaire shipping magnate Richard “Dick” Uihlein and his wife Elizabeth “Liz” Uihlein spent $50 million on just one race in 2022 alone. , tried to oust Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Unlike Biden, Trump is likely to use his wealth to fund a significant portion of his campaign. But former presidents have historically resisted using their personal funds. Trump also owes the city of New York more than $454 million as a result of a civil fraud judgment, which Trump is currently appealing, but as the process progresses, he still owes a large sum of money. It has been reported.
Mr. Musk has shown increasing openness to supporting Republican candidates. Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, Musk called on his supporters to vote Republican. At the beginning of the 2024 Republican primary, the Tesla CEO endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who launched a presidential campaign on Twitter that ended in disaster. DeSantis has since resigned and endorsed Trump.
As for Musk, he told the Times late last year that choosing between Biden and Trump “will definitely be a difficult choice.” Although he made clear he would not vote for Biden, he did not explicitly say he would support the former president.
Representatives for Trump and Musk did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.
This is a developing story. Please check the latest information.
