Elon Musk says he played a major role in Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection by giving the president his Twitter account back.
Musk, who bought the platform and rebranded it as X, replied “True” to a yesterday’s post that credited him with helping Trump reclaim the presidency.
The original post by Natalie Danelishen read, “Just a reminder that 5 years ago today Twitter banned @realDonaldTrump. If not for @elonmusk buying Twitter and turning it into X who knows if Trump would have even won the election. Elon gave Trump back his speech. Even before he was reelected.”
Trump was permanently banned from the platform on Jan. 8, 2021, following the Capitol riot, after Twitter cited the “risk of further incitement of violence.”
Musk reinstated Trump’s account in November 2022 after a user poll showed 51.8% supported the move. However, Trump didn’t post anything until August 2024.
Trump Returned To X With Attacks On Kamala Harris
Trump’s comeback post on X dropped just three months before the election. He shared three campaign videos that bashed his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, calling her a “San Francisco Radical.”
His return to the platform was timed just ahead of his high-profile interview with Elon Musk, which aired on Aug. 12.
Before that, Trump had been posting exclusively on Truth Social, the platform he launched after being banned from Twitter.
His last post on X before the August 2024 comeback was on Aug. 24, 2023, when he shared a mug shot with the caption: “Election interference. Never surrender!”
Musk Didn’t Just Hand Trump His Account Back—He Backed Him With $290 Million
Federal filings show Musk spent over $290 million on the 2024 election, most of it going toward super PACs that backed Trump and other Republican candidates.
About $250 million of that went to America PAC, a group Musk founded. He also gave to several other GOP-linked groups and cut $10,000 checks to dozens of state Republican committees.
In the final weeks of the race, Musk spent over $50 million on voter registration giveaways through his PAC, which were challenged legally but allowed to continue.
On Dec. 31, Musk dropped $11.2 million more into America PAC, earmarked for “petition incentives.”
Since Trump’s reelection, Musk has taken a position in the new administration through the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which he reportedly helped create.
Trump and Allies Kept the Money Flowing After the Win
In the weeks following the election, Trump’s newly renamed leadership PAC, Never Surrender, raised nearly $21 million. MAGA Inc., another major pro-Trump group, collected $18.3 million in the same period.
Donors included financier Warren Stephens, tapped to be the next U.S. ambassador to the U.K., who gave $1 million on the day of his nomination.
Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt gave $4 million. Palantir CEO Alexander Karp, whose firm has ties to Musk, contributed $1 million.
Never Surrender ended 2024 with about $27.4 million in the bank, though it reported over $11 million in debts, mainly to a telemarketing firm.
It also claimed the U.S. Secret Service owed it nearly $4.7 million for air travel.
Democrats Spent Big, But Lost
While Musk and Republicans ramped up spending, the Democratic National Committee raised $31.5 million but burned through $56.6 million.
A large chunk went toward legal fees, payroll, and a $5.7 million reimbursement to the Harris campaign for headquarters costs.
Trump’s win left the DNC scrambling to recover while Republicans, including Musk, were already eyeing the 2026 midterms.
Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina, and New Hampshire are expected to be tight, and filings showed incumbents like Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) gearing up with millions banked.
Musk, meanwhile, appears satisfied with the role he played in Trump’s 2024 reelection campaign. His one-word reply to a supporter’s claim that he helped Trump win wasn’t just agreement, it was a flex.
IMAGE CREDIT: “Elon Musk” by Gage Skidmore, via Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image adjusted for layout.