Hey everybody, welcome. Back to the. Elon Musk podcast. This is a show where we discuss. The Critical. Crossroads that shape SpaceX. Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden. Elon Musk's $1 million a day. Giveaway to voters. In swing states will continue through Election Day following a Pennsylvania judge's ruling on Monday. This decision raises several. Key questions. 1st is the promotion legal? Second, why are critics calling it an attempt to sway the
election? Finally, what exactly qualifies someone to receive the money now? The ruling comes amid intense criticism from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. Who called the giveaway? A scam aimed at influencing the election. Judge Angelo Foglietta of Pennsylvania's Common Pleas Court declined Krasner's request to halt Musk's giveaway.
Though Foglietta didn't provide an immediate written explanation for this ruling, his decision permits Musk's America PAC to continue awarding $1,000,000 each day to selected voters who endorsed the PAC's pro Trump petition the contest. However, is set to. End on Election Day, so no additional payments are scheduled for Pennsylvania now.
The promotional campaign is run by America PAC, a pro Trump group founded by Elon Musk, and since its launch on October 19th, the giveaway has awarded $1,000,000 daily to voters in battleground states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Musk. A public supporter. Of Former President Donald Trump has funded America PAC with nearly $120 million, according. To federal disclosures, his.
Support comes during a critical moment in the election where Pennsylvania's 19 electoral. Votes are likely to. Play a decisive. Role. Now America PAC. Officials. Claim the recipients of the $1 million awards are preselected based on their suitability to serve as spokespeople for the group's values, not chosen at random and according to Chris. Gober 1 of Musk. 'S attorneys, the recipients.
Are not chosen by. Chance He explained that the organization selects individuals who views aligned with America's PAC's pro Trump agenda and who have agreed to sign a petition endorsing constitutional rights, specifically free speech and gun rights. Chris Young, America PAC's director and treasurer, testified. That the group. Carefully reviews each. Recipient before awarding the. Funds. He described a process that evaluates potential. Spokespeople. Based on their.
Personalities and their values. Winners are vetted through social media checks and in person meetings outside event venues. Young indicated the purpose of this review process was to ensure recipients are aligned with the group's messaging and capable of. Presenting its agenda publicly. Now, despite America PAC's claims, Krasner and his legal team. Argue that the giveaway is effectively an illegal lottery. And an attempt to mislead voters.
Pennsylvania law prohibits lotteries unless they're operated by the state, and Krasner asserts that the daily $1,000,000 payouts constituted a lottery since they're marked as prizes for signing the petition now. Krasner's attorney, John Summers, argued in court that calling the giveaway a salary for spokespeople was one of the greatest scams of the last 50 years. Now Elon Musk's legal team, however, insisted that the program does not meet the criteria for a lottery.
Since it lacks the. Element of chance Instead, they say the winners are selected in advance based on their potential to advocate for America Packs values. Musk's lawyer, Matt Haverstick, criticized the lawsuit as a political circus and argued that the payment should be seen as compensation rather than prizes. According to Haverstick, Pennsylvania law doesn't apply in its context because the winners are essentially being hired for promotional purposes
now. In an attempt to further support their argument, Musk's lawyers highlighted that participants sign a petition in support of the 1st and. 2nd Amendments before they. Qualify for the. Program. They intended that signing this petition is an exercise of free speech, making the giveaway a form of core political speech, and as such, they argued that preventing the promotion would infringe on Pennsylvanians rights to. Freely express their political
beliefs. District Attorney Krasner's legal team challenged the PAC's defense, maintaining that the. Structure of the giveaway is a cover. For a lottery system and that its promotional tactics are misleading. Summers showed the court of video from October 10th or 19th Trump rally where Musk stated the America PAC would randomly select recipients from those who signed the petition. He argued that Musk's statements at the rally created a false impression that the winners
would be chosen by chance. Young, who was America Pack's director, admitted he was surprised when he heard Musk. Describe the giveaway. As random at the rally, according to Young America, Pack had never intended the selection process to be random. The organization, he explained, always approached. The giveaway as a. Structured recruitment of spokespeople, with the winners chosen specifically for their alignment with the.
Pack's values. Young also confirmed that winners had to sign non disclosure agreements, which prevented them from publicly discussing the details of their contracts with America Pack. Now, in a statement to the court, Krezner's accused Musk's team of crafting a deliberately misleading narrative. He stated. They know what they're doing is illegal and they're doing everything. Under the sun.
To cover it up. Krasner's office also discussed that PAC selective criteria combined with the non disclosure agreements concealed the true nature of the program from the public. This, Krasner argued, prevented voters from understanding that recipients were not randomly chosen as Musk had said, suggested and stated.
And Musk's giveaway program operates in a legal Gray area regarding election laws, as it may be seen as an indirect attempt to P people to register to vote or to influence their political choices. Federal law prohibits payments for voter registration, and the US Department of Justice has issued a warning to America PAC regarding potential violations. However, federal prosecutors have not yet taken formal action against Musk or his organization.
Now, the contested legality of Musk's promotion has significant implications for voter mobilization efforts, especially since the Trump campaign relies heavily on external groups like America PAC to canvas and engage voters. Now, the PAC's daily giveaways are part of a broader effort to motivate voters in swing states where the race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump
remains close. With Election Day approaching, Musk's Funding for America PAC has positioned his organization as a influential player in these battleground states. Now Monday's. Court hearing was one of the last attempts by Krasner to halt the program before it concludes. Haverstick argued that Krasner's request was moot, noting that the remaining 2 winners from Monday and Tuesday had already
been chosen. Neither recipient, he pointed out, was from Philly, making an immediate court intervention ineffective. Haverstick assured the court that there was no risk of any further Pennsylvania residents receiving the money through America PAC's program. Now Judge Fuglietta briefly. Addressed the limited time frame of the program, asking both sides to confirm that the promotion would end on Election Day.
Haverstick's response highlighted that the final two recipients had already been notified, thus precluding any further participation from. Pennsylvania voters. And despite Krezner's objections, Fuglietta issued a. Brief order. Allowing the giveaway to continue stating he would clarify his reasoning at a later date. Now, the controversy surrounding the program highlights Musk's increasing involvement in
political activities. Elon has openly supported Trump throughout the campaign, and he has used his social media platform X to endorse Trump's policies and events. Musk's deep financial Support for America PAC also reflects his recent ideology alignment with conservative causes, including free speech and gun rights.
Which the PAC's. Petition prominently endorses America PAC's efforts in swing states have drawn attention not only for the sizeable payments, but also for PAC's high profile endorsement by one of the world's wealthiest individuals. And as Bus continues to fund the organization, his involvement in voter mobilization efforts is usual among CE OS of major tech
companies. And this is a unique approach to political engagement by Elon. This convolvement has, however, attracted legal scrutiny and public criticism. For various political. Leaders and election officials. Now already. The program has distributed a total of $17 million to registered voters across 7 battleground states, according to America PAC, and its posts on X and the PAC's last recipient before Election Day is expected to be announced on Tuesday from Michigan.
With Election Day marking the conclusion of the program, the PAC has emphasized that it will not extend the giveaway beyond this date, in line with the judge's inquiry during the hearing. And the ongoing legal disputes may continue even after Election Day, though, as officials assess the program's compliance with federal and state election laws. And as of now, the Justice Department's Cautionary Message to America PAC signals potential legal challenges down the line.
However, the outcome of the scrutiny and whether it will impact Musk or the PAC directly remains uncertain. How are election officials handling Elon Musk's social media influence, especially when it spreads misleading information? And why is it challenging for states like Michigan and Arizona to Fact Check him directly on X? And also, what strategy are these officials using to counter Elon Musk's reach, and how is Musk himself responding to them?
Election officials in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Arizona are expressing concerns about Elon Musk's influence in spreading false information on X, with some officials going to great lengths to reach Elon Musk directly. Steven Richer, an election official in Arizona's Maricopa County, shared that he even tried getting messages hand delivered to Elon Musk urging him to stop amplifying unsubstantiated claims.
Reicher, who's faced serious threats for defending the 2020 election results, says that despite persistent efforts to correct the record, Elon Musk's massive online following makes it nearly impossible to curb the spread of misinformation. Now, the need to counter falsehoods around elections has become a full second time job for many election officials, a situation that arose in response to misinformation that spread widely after Donald Trump's 2020 election loss.
However, Musk's ownership of X and his high profile support for Trump have introduced new hurdles. The X platform's influential reach means that any falsehood that Musk shares can spread really quickly like wildfire over often overwhelming a local election of officials to provide verification information. Now, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been particularly vocal in countering
Musk's misinformation. Recently, she fact checked a claim that Musk made about Michigan's registered voters directly responding on X. Her post gained over 33 million views, reflecting substantial interest. But Musk maintained his position, accusing Benson of
blatantly lying to the public. Benson, frustrated with by Musk's response, lamented the missing opportunity for Musk to use his resources to help us restore and ensure people can have rightly placed faith in our election outcomes, whatever they may be. Now, Elon Musk's influence on election decisions across X has left election officials 6 days before Election Day, scrambling to find a strategy to counter
the spread of misinformation. Efforts by officials in Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania to set the record straight are often overshadowed by. Musk's massive online. Following with his post quickly gaining visibility and without effective controls on X's algorithm, which frequently promotes high profile accounts, election authorities say they face a structural disadvantage in ensuring accurate election information is widely seen.
Now, the social media platform known as X has provided minimal response to Musk's election. Related. Posts though a platform. Spokesperson indicated that X enforces policies on election interference and misleading content. Now. This response, however, stops short of addressing Musk's own posts, leaving election officials without direct intervention to prevent the spread of unverified claims.
Now CN Ms. attempts to contact Musk and also the Washington Post and all of the other major media outlets. They can't get a hold of the guy. They take it to X and they make comments on his posts and they refute him. But most of the time it doesn't work. Nade de Resto, a disinformation said that election officials are simply unequipped to counter the reach of high profile accounts like Musk. Because of that, election officials have a very hard job.
The job is to be election officials, not be tweeters. That's what they said. She asked. If prominent figures are allowed to amplify unverified claims without equivalent promotion of accurate information, it creates a structural disadvantage and that election authorities can
rarely overcome this. Now this week, Elon Musk encouraged his followers on Next to report supposed election irregularities to an election integrity community on the platform, which is administrator by his America Pack, an organization supporting Trump's campaign. And election officials quickly noticed that some of the claims appearing on this community feed had already been debunked by state authorities, further complicating their task of
promoting factual information. The CEO of American Sunlight Project called the situation staggering with Musk's role at the helm of XI. Don't know if anything can Fact Check him now. Benson, who has faced security threats in the past for responding to Musk, acknowledges the personal risks associated with fact checking the tech billionaire. They said the. First time he. Attacked our election system.
I had to take a beat and realize that if I were to respond as I did, ultimately I'd have to check to make sure my family was safe first. Benson says she now alerts her security team whenever she respond to Musk's posts to prepare for an uptick in threats. Now, to mitigate these security risks, Benson has broadened her approach to disseminate accurate election misinformation.
Her office has gathered leaders from business and labor sectors to brief them on Michigan's election process and the state's commitment to counting every legitimate vote. And by empowering these local leaders as messengers, she hopes to reach more residents with verified information before misinformation can spread widely on platforms like X. Now, officials in Pennsylvania are pursuing similar strategies to Fact Check Musk's claims, though they acknowledged
limitations. And one election official in the state referred to Musk as a huge problem and said current fact checking efforts are largely about establishing a paper trail to document the accuracy of their statements. That Musk's influence in Pennsylvania is not just limited to his social media activity, though. He's also involved in a legal matter regarding the $1 million giveaway that his America PAC is conducting daily.
Sweepstakes they offer to registered voters in battleground states has led to a lawsuit that Musk is attempting to move to federal court now. His lawyers filed a motion of removal late Wednesday night, a procedural move that would pause the case in state court and shift the decision to a federal judge. Now, down in Georgia, election officials have decided the direct engagement with Musk on X is unlikely to yield any results. Instead, they're relying on press.
Conferences. A method they successfully used in 2020 to dispel misinformation. By presenting officials who openly refute the latest election related falsehoods and by using scheduled public updates, they hope to present clear and consistent information without engaging with Elon Musk directly. Now, the backlash against social media monitoring for election misinformation has affected platforms beyond X, making it increasingly difficult for election officials to counteract
falsehoods. One official from the battleground states noted that the unlike other companies such as Meta, X lacks a clear line of communication, complicating attempts to address misinformation directly on a platform. Jankowicz, a disinformation expert who has been a. Target of criticism.
From Some conservative lawmakers pointed to the contrasting silence surrounding Musk's influence on X. They said what Elon Musk is doing, the campaigning that he's doing, the donation that he's making, the way he has engineered Twitter to be a maelstrom of conservative disinformation is far closer to election interference than any of the allegations that conservatives have made against social media platforms from 2016 to 2022.
Now, Democratic lawmakers are raising concerns about social media companies preparedness to manage election related misinformation. Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed frustration about the platform's lack of transparency on their plans to address misleading content before and after Election Day. Warner noted that he's still wanting on a full answer or of what they're going to do to surge capabilities. Now that's of course, it's a a huge concern.
An OX's absence at a recent Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on foreign influence and social media has also intensified. Lawmaker Warner mentioned that Nick Pickles X's. Head of global affairs. Had been invited but resigned on September 6th and the company did not send a replacement. An X spokesperson confirmed that Pickles departure, but did not explain the decision to forgo
representation at the hearing. Now, Elon Musk's America PAC has received judicial permission to proceed with cash giveaways to registered voters, at least temporarily, following a ruling from a Pennsylvania State judge. And Musk's PAC has been offering daily $1 million prizes to voters in key swing states contingent upon their signing a petition.
Now, the petition reportedly includes a pledge to support the US Constitution, though some officials are concerned that the cash for petition format may conflict with US electoral laws. Philadelphia District Attorney Lawrence Krasner filed a lawsuit against Musk earlier this week, calling on the courts to halt the giveaways. Krasner's suit urges that Musk must be stopped immediately before the upcoming presidential
election. Determined that Krasner's case would be paused while a federal court decides if it will hear the case, a delay that makes it unlikely any financial decision will be reached before the November 7th election. The court hearing featured remarks from John Summers, an attorney working with District Attorney Krasner, who told reporters they would push to have the matter returned to
state court. That the federal court declines to take it up. Summers argued the case centers on state laws, adding after all, this is a case that involves state law issues. Musk, who was required to. Attend the Philadelphia court. Hearing did not appear this month. Offering daily $1 million awards for registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina until November
5th. And these 7 battleground states are considered crucial in the 2024 election, with polls indicating a tight race between President Donald Trump, who Musk supports, and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Eligibility for Musk's $1,000,000 giveaway requires participants to provide personal information, including phone numbers and addresses. And to sign a. Statement affirming their commitment to the Constitution.
Krasner's lawsuit describes the structure as a lottery and alleges that it constitutes an unlawful lottery. And according to Krasner, the sweepstakes Lowell's Philadelphia citizens to give up their personal identification information and make a political pledge in exchange for the chance to win $1,000,000. The lawsuit also accuses Musk and his pack of using deceptive, vague or misleading statements that could mislead voters under consumer protection laws.
This warning could qualify as false advertising, which Musk's attorney has strongly refuted. In a federal court filing, Musk's lawyers argued the lawsuit's actual purpose was to curb Musk's influence on the election. They said the complaint, in truth, has little to do with state law claims of nuisance and consumer protection. Now, Musk's legal team stated, adding that it aims to prevent any supposed interference by Musk's PAC in the upcoming
election. Now, Musk's PAC received prior warning from the Department of Justice, which noted that the cash giveaways could breach federal election regulations. Musk has, however, assured potential participants they do not need to. Identify as Republican. Or even vote to qualify for the prize. As Musk continues to press forward with his PAC's campaign, the legal proceedings and official scrutiny reflect ongoing concerns about the potential influence of his
platform on the 2024 election. How would? A Trump presidency potentially benefit Elon Musk, and also could Musk gain even greater influence over U.S. policy? And what specific? Impact might Musk. 'S alliance with Trump have on Tesla, SpaceX and his other ventures now Elon Musk, who spent election night alongside Donald Trump at Mar a Lago, has expressed clear. Enthusiasm about. The former president's return to the White House after Trump's victory.
Musk took to X writing. The people of America gave at Real Donald Trump a clear, crystal clear mandate for change. Tonight, Now, Musk's endorsement of Trump. Reflects a major shift. For the billionaire entrepreneur, who had previously described himself as a politically moderate, now in his victory speech, Trump signaled that. Musk had spent. A lot of time with him and he talked about his achievements, especially with SpaceX, and as a result, Tesla's stock saw a significant.
Jump with its price rising by over. 12% the day after Trump's victory was confirmed. Now, the game boosted Musk's net worth, which now stands at an estimated $290 billion, highlighting the immediate financial impact of Musk's alliance with Trump. Now, Musk's financial support for Trump's campaign has been extensive, though We donated more than $119,000,000 to a pro Trump super PAC in a direct attempt to sway voters in Trump's favor.
Now. In addition, Musk funded a large Get Out the Vote campaign across key battleground states, offering daily giveaways of $1,000,000 to incentivize participation, a tactic that eventually survived a legal challenge. Now Musk's alliance with Trump, however, extends beyond monetary contributions. Trump announced he would consider appointing Musk as head of a newly imagined Department of Government Efficiency if he
takes office now. Musk has expressed a vision for this role as a streamline agency to cut down bureaucratic waste, and he. Jokingly dubbed it. Doge, referencing a popular meme and cryptocurrency he's promoted. Now, SpaceX stands as one of the biggest potential beneficiaries of Musk's strength and ties. With Trump. Already a dominant player in U.S. government contracts for space projects, SpaceX could further expand its hold on contracts for defense and
intelligence satellites. With Trump in office, SpaceX could deepen its connections to government agencies like NASA and the Pentagon, which already rely heavily on SpaceX for critical missions. Now Musk. Has openly criticized competitors, particularly. Boeing for their reliance on traditional government contract structures that he claims led to budget overruns and delayed
project completions. And if Trump implements a more streamlined government contract system, Musk SpaceX, known for faster, more cost effective projects, could see even more opportunities to increase its market share. Now Tesla is another Musk LED enterprise positioned to benefit under Trump's potential administration. In campaign promises, Trump has outlined the goal of reducing regulatory constraints on corporations, which could have direct implications for Tesla's operations.
With Trump's support, Musk may have to leverage. To. Secure a lowest regulatory burden environment that he argues could accelerate Tesla's innovation. Now, shortly before the election. The National Hwy. Traffic Safety Administration began investigating Tesla's self driving software, which Musk has touted as the future of
autonomous vehicles. And if Trump takes office, Musk may push for a reduction in regulatory scrutiny over Tesla's driving assistance systems, including Autopilot and Full Self Driving, now a single federal standard for autonomous vehicles. Could offer. Tesla an advantage in rapidly deploying this technology currently. Regulations vary widely. From state to state, which Musk has criticized as an obstacle to the widespread adoption of autonomous technology.
And a Trump LED government that sets a unified framework would reduce compliance hurdles and simplify Tesla's rollout process across multiple states. Now, Elon Musk's latest project, the Cyber Cab has no steering wheel or pedals, may require federal waivers to proceed with production. By aligning himself with Trump, Musk could gain the.
Influence needed to secure. Favorable policies for autonomous vehicle production, potentially allowing Tesla to introduce innovations ahead of his competition. Now Musk's Neuralink focused on developing brain implants, could also stand to gain under Trump. Musk has frequently criticized the FDA for what he describes as its overly slow approval
process. In a Trump administration, Musk may seek to influence the FDA to expedite approvals, which he argues would accelerate the pace of innovation for technologies like Neurolink's brain interfaces. Now, inside Musk's companies, employees are already discussing how a Trump administration could impact regulatory processes, sources familiar with Neurolink's operations say some employees. Believe that. Musk could push. For a looser regulatory.
Framework within the FDA, even to the extent of seeking to remove FDA officials he deems inefficient, a move that would likely be controversial. Now. The Trump administration can also have wider implication from Musk's overall regulatory landscape. Sources from within Musk companies describe a de enforcement strategy aiming to reduce federal oversights on all
of Elon Musk's operations. For example, Musk's emphasis on efficiency aligns with Trump's intent to reduce regulatory friction, which could ultimately reduce oversight on companies like Tesla and SpaceX. Now SpaceX, despite its prominence in federal contracts, has at times faced scrutiny over workplace safety practices, now an investigation that happened last year by Reuters with 600 worker injuries at SpaceX
facilities. The federal agencies have refrained from significant enforcements of these actions, though, so ministry and signers attribute this to the government's dependence on SpaceX for critical operations, which is a reliance that could deepen if Musk's influence grows under Trump. Spacex's contracts with NASA represent a substantial investment from the US government, estimated to about $15 billion or over.
And this interdependence has led to a dynamic where, as one federal official put it, NASA needs SpaceX more than SpaceX needs NASA. With Musk's expanded influence, government agencies may become more inclined to favor SpaceX over its competitors, particularly in high stakes projects like intelligence and defense, satellite networks and Musk. 'S ventures collectively hold.
A prominent position in areas where government contracts, subsidies and regulation intersect, his vocal opposition to what he considers stifling regulations has made him a natural ally to Trump's regulatory agenda. And if Trump wins, Musk's power in sectors ranging from autos to space to biotech could set a precedent reminiscent of America's Gilded Age, where industry leaders exerted considerable control over public policy.
Now a supporter of Musk's strategy believe his relationship with Trump could transform the US government to operate with the agility. Of a start up. Now there's this venture capitalist from Silicon Valley. Shervin Pishvar, also a SpaceX investor, sees Musk's potential influence. As a pathway to. Scale Spacex's mission of reaching Mars and beyond. They describe Musk as someone who could make America function like a startup, viewing Musk's potential government role as.
Pivotal for a streamlined. Regulatory environment and with Musk's alliance with Trump, it's seen as advantageous for his businesses there's concerns about the potential risks of easing oversight in industries with high stakes safety risks. A former SpaceX official cautioned that regulatory laxity in the high risk sector of rocket building could lead to severe consequences, potentially sending back.
Industry progress. And such risks under score the potential trade-offs in Musk's push for deregulation. Now Elon Musk's aligned with Trump suggests a clear departure from his prior image as an environmental innovator focused on clean energy. Once seen as a key advocate for fighting climate change, Musk now leads a new class of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs pushing for a libertarian approach to governance. Critical of what he calls.
The woke mind virus, and he associates with the traditional liberal ideas of the region. The broader trend of Musk's political involvement points to a rising class of tech billionaires with increasing influence over policy. Musk's advocacy for deregulation, combined with his substantial campaign funding, signals an era where the interests of tech giants are more aligned with government
power than ever before. Now, if Trump's promises materialize, Musk's empire may grow to hold an unprecedented level of sway over U.S. government policy and economic. Regulations. Hey, thank you so much for listening today. I really do appreciate your support. If you could take a second and hit the. Subscribe or the follow. Button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening on. Right now I greatly. Appreciate it, it helps out the show tremendously and you'll
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