Elon Musk proposes daily $1 million incentive for swing state voters to support petition.
- Elon Musk announced that he would give away $1 million each day until Election Day to registered voters in swing states who sign his America PAC petition.
- "I believe thinking is enjoyable, and it appears to be a wise investment," Musk stated at the event.
- In Pennsylvania, Trump's support is being promoted by Musk through a speaking tour aimed at increasing voter registration.
Elon Musk announced on Saturday that he would give out $1 million daily to registered voters who sign a petition supporting his pro-Trump political action committee, in an attempt to motivate his fans in swing states to vote.
At an America PAC event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Musk announced that there is a surprise prize money available "every day from now until the election."
John Dreher, one of the petition signees present, received a giant check from Musk.
The CEO, worth almost $250 billion, said, "I think thinking is kind of fun, and it seems like a good use of money, basically."
In Pennsylvania, where he is CEO of defense contractor SpaceX and owner of social media platform X, Musk launched a speaking tour to boost voter registration and support the Republican nominee. He labeled the state as the "decisive factor" in this election.
"I believe Pennsylvania's outcome will determine the election's result," Musk stated.
The voter registration deadline in Pennsylvania is Monday night, which is also the deadline to sign the petition on the America PAC website. The petition states that to be eligible for payments, signees must be registered voters of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin.
Rick Hasen, a UCLA law professor and NBC news election law analyst, stated in a blog post that Musk's initiative may be a violation of federal election laws, particularly the provision that states a person who "pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."
"Hasen stated in an interview with CNBC that certain things in this country are prohibited from being sold, and certain things have been decided should not be sold. Congress has made it clear that selling your vote to the highest bidder is not allowed, and the political process should not be influenced by people with the most wealth who may try to sway your vote in a particular direction."
No response was received from Musk or one of his advisors when CNBC sought comment.
Floating conspiracy theories
At events supporting Trump, Musk has promoted unfounded voter fraud theories, advocated for less regulation, and consistently portrayed Biden and Harris, Trump's opponents, as interchangeable "puppets."
""I'm not suggesting anyone should attempt to assassinate Kamala, but I'm simply stating that there's no point in doing so, as it would be futile," Musk said on Saturday, repeating a line he's used before that drew the attention of the secret service."
Musk has expressed his view that many government agencies and regulations in the U.S. are ineffective and unnecessary, and Trump has appointed him to a government efficiency commission to address these issues.
""Even if I am part of the government, we should not fully trust it," Musk stated in Harrisburg."
SpaceX has faced opposition from government agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Aviation Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries, despite Musk's companies relying on government support.
""SpaceX was fined $140,000 for dumping potable drinking water on the ground at Starbase," Musk stated."
The EPA has determined that SpaceX's repeated discharge of hot, industrial wastewater into the wetlands near its launch pad in Boca Chica, Texas, violates the Clean Water Act.
NOAA Fisheries was mocked by Musk for requesting SpaceX to carry out a study on the potential effects of rocket falls on sharks and whales in the ocean.
""The ocean is a vast expanse with many sharks, but it's not impossible to conserve America's coastal and marine resources," Musk stated."
In 2021, the White House's refusal to invite Tesla to an electric vehicle summit intensified Musk's animosity towards President Biden.
"Tesla has around 140,000 employees, and it's clear that a lot of effort, dedication, and passion have gone into creating their innovative electric cars. Yet, it's frustrating to be treated as though they don't deserve recognition for their hard work. It's like, what's the point?"
Throughout his presidency, Biden has maintained a pro-labor platform, in contrast to Musk, who has long fought unions, and Tesla, which was accused of union-busting before the EV summit.
In Harrisburg, one attendee questioned Musk about whether self-driving cars should be made mandatory if they can operate more safely on the road than human drivers. Despite promising a "robotaxi" to customers for years, Tesla has yet to deliver on this promise.
Musk suggested he was against anything federally mandated.
"Let the market handle things without government intervention," he stated. "Thank you for attending. It has been a pleasure to speak with you."
Throughout the evening, Musk barely mentioned Trump and did not delve into his policies or presidency in detail.
WATCH: Elon Musk gives $75 million to pro-Trump PAC
Technology
You might also like
- Tech bros funded the election of the most pro-crypto Congress in America.
- Microsoft is now testing its Recall photographic memory search feature, but it's not yet flawless.
- Could Elon Musk's plan to reduce government agencies and regulations positively impact his business?
- Some users are leaving Elon Musk's platform due to X's new terms of service.
- The U.S. Cyber Force is the subject of a power struggle within the Pentagon.