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WHY BERNIE SANDERS IS THANKING ELON MUSK  
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Jake Johnson
July 17, 2024
Common Dreams
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_ The Vermont senator said Musk has done "an exceptional job of
demonstrating a point that we have made for years—and that is the
fact we live in an oligarchic society." _

, Photograph: Todd Anderson/Redux Pictures

 

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders
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unusual step of applauding Elon Musk—but not for reasons that the
Tesla CEO and world's richest man would likely find flattering.

In the wake of reports
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that Musk plans to inject $45 million per month into a new super PAC
supporting former President Donald Trump's bid for another four years
in the White House, Sanders (I-Vt.) thanked Musk for doing "an
exceptional job of demonstrating a point that we have made for
years—and that is the fact we live in an oligarchic society in which
billionaires dominate not only our economic life and the information
we consume, but our politics as well."

"And let me be clear. While the size of Musk's financial contribution
is particularly egregious, he is not alone in attempting to buy this
election to further his own needs," Sanders continued. "Other
billionaires are also playing a significant role—in both political
parties. Oh, I know... here goes Bernie Sanders again about _Citizens
United [[link removed]]_ and the
role of money in politics. I have no shortage of critics who accuse me
of being boring and of hammering away at the same themes year after
year after year."

"They're probably right. I am repetitious, but that’s because the
problems we care about are only getting worse," he added. "Let's be
clear. It has never made sense to me, then or now, that a tiny clique
of people should have incredible wealth and power while most people
have none."

"While people like Elon Musk try to buy elections for Donald Trump
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low wages, have no health insurance, can't afford prescription drugs,
and can't find affordable housing are giving up on politics."

Citing unnamed sources, _The Wall Street Journal
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earlier this week that Musk has pledged to donate $45 million per
month to America PAC, whose founding donors
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ultra-rich tech investors who are part of Musk's social circle.
The _New York Times_separately reported
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"one leader of America PAC told a friend that the group expected to
have a major donor who would make donations in four batches, adding up
to as much as $160 million over the course of the campaign."

The _Journal_ and _Bloomberg_ stories—which Musk denied with a
meme [[link removed]] that
included the words "fake gnus"—followed reports
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Musk had already given the super PAC a substantial sum of money
despite his March declaration
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donating money to either candidate for U.S. president."

Musk formally endorsed
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on X—the social media platform Musk owns—following an
assassination attempt against the former president this past weekend
in Pennsylvania. Conspiracy theories about the attempt on Trump's life
proliferated rapidly on X, with the help of Musk himself
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The Tesla CEO's name did not appear
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America PAC's disclosure filings for June, which could mean that he
donated to the PAC earlier this month.

Musk, who is worth over $250 billion, is one of more than a dozen
billionaires supporting Trump and his newly chosen running mate, Sen.
JD Vance (R-Ohio). _Axios
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the _Times
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Tuesday that Musk personally lobbied Trump to make Vance his vice
presidential pick.

Musk and other U.S. billionaires got $1 trillion richer
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Trump's first four years in office, gains fueled by massive tax cuts
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signed into law in 2017.

Sanders wrote in his email Tuesday that Musk's influence on the 2024
election could be particularly pronounced given his ownership of X,
the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Musk, Sanders wrote, has used the platform "to amplify the voices of
conspiracy theorists who deny the results of the last election and
spread the dangerous idea that Democrats want to allow mass,
undocumented migration to the country to replace, electorally, the
votes of white people."

"The reality is that while people like Elon Musk try to buy elections
for Donald Trump, people who work for low wages, have no health
insurance, can't afford prescription drugs, and can't find affordable
housing are giving up on politics," the senator continued. "They see
the rich getting richer as they use their wealth to buy influence, and
wonder whether anyone in Washington even knows what is going on in
their lives."

Sanders argued that to end the pernicious political influence of Musk
and other billionaires, it is essential to elect candidates who
support overturning _Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission_,
the 2010 Supreme Court decision that spawned the super PACs now
playing a massive role
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the nation's elections.

"It is an issue that should concern all Americans—regardless of
their political point of view—who wish to live under a government
that represents all of the people and not just a handful of powerful
special interests," Sanders wrote. "Taking action is not just good
politics, it is also good policy. Because the truth is, campaign
finance reform is the most important issue facing us today, because it
impacts all the others."

_Jake Johnson is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams._

* Elon Musk
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* Oligarchy
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* Bernie Sanders
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