Filmmaker Alex Gibney, director of the documentary "Musk," has posited that Elon Musk's substantial spending in the midterm elections is motivated by a dual concern: securing political influence for Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, and evading potential legal and civil repercussions for his companies.
During an appearance on "CNN This Morning," Gibney stated that Musk's financial backing stems from a need for protection against "criminal or civil reckoning for some of the stuff that his companies have done." He specifically referenced past investigations into Musk's companies, including a Justice Department probe into Tesla's self-driving claims. Gibney asserted that these investigations reportedly ceased following Trump's re-election. Musk reportedly received billions in federal contracts, and Gibney claims that officials investigating his businesses were dismissed during Trump's tenure.
Musk has publicly stated his support for Trump, having previously poured over $250 million into campaigns and claimed, "Without me, Trump would have lost the election." Since July, he has reportedly spent approximately $276 million in support of Republican candidates.
Gibney suggested that Musk's current financial efforts are unprecedented, driven by a fear that a Democratic control of Congress could lead to the resumption of these investigations. "Now I think he’s terrified that if the Democrats were to take control of one or both houses of Congress, that investigations might resume," Gibney said. "And I think this is the source of his attempts to try to put so much money into these elections, kind of unprecedented amounts."
The documentary filmmaker also commented on Musk's influence through his companies, including SpaceX and its role with the Pentagon and its Starlink satellite network. Gibney posited that Starlink serves not only a connected purpose but also a surveillance and data collection purpose for Musk's artificial intelligence systems.
Musk has reportedly threatened legal action against Gibney over claims within the film suggesting interference with the 2024 election results via Starlink. Gibney acknowledged during a film screening that Musk might have engaged in such interference but stated he could not definitively prove it.
Gibney further elaborated on Musk's worldview, suggesting that his belief in humanity living in a simulation leads him to view his actions as part of an "existential video game," potentially shaping reality without regard for human well-being. Gibney concluded that Musk wields immense power, encompassing not only his political and business dealings but also the "propagandistic power he wields through the control of his platform, X, formerly Twitter."