How Elon Musk Became Donald Trump's Biggest Cheerleader and Biden’s Harshest Critic
Elon Musk's Shift from Biden to Trump: What Sparked the Change?
Elon Musk's political evolution has been nothing short of dramatic. Once a vocal supporter of Joe Biden, Musk’s relationship with the U.S. President soured over time, eventually turning him into one of Donald Trump's biggest cheerleaders. But what exactly triggered this transformation, and why did Musk make such a stark shift in political allegiance?
Musk’s Initial Support for Biden and the Growing Rift
In the 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential elections, Elon Musk backed Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden over the Republican candidate, Donald Trump. Musk, who has described himself as "half Democrat, half Republican," initially seemed like a centrist figure, willing to support candidates from both sides.
However, after Biden's victory in 2020, tensions started to rise. Musk became increasingly vocal about his disapproval of the Biden administration’s policies. One of the early flashpoints came when Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company, was notably excluded from a White House summit on electric vehicles despite Tesla dominating the market. Musk took to Twitter (now X) to express his frustration, accusing the Biden administration of overlooking Tesla, despite its massive share of the EV market.
By 2021, Musk's criticisms intensified. In a public post, Musk mocked Biden’s response to SpaceX's civilian spaceflight, saying, “He’s still sleeping,” in reference to Biden not offering congratulations to SpaceX for its historic mission. Musk also criticized Biden’s support for labor unions, suggesting it impeded progress. He even labeled the Democratic Party as “the party of division & hate,” declaring his intention to shift towards the Republican Party.
Musk's Criticism of Trump: From Dismissal to Support
Interestingly, Musk’s path to supporting Trump wasn’t a simple one. Back in 2016, Musk was openly critical of Trump. He described Trump as “probably not the right guy” for president, citing his lack of character. Musk even suggested that Trump’s presidency would bring “too much drama,” calling it a “bull in a china shop” situation.
In 2022, Musk stated that Trump should “hang up his hat and sail into the sunset,” arguing that the country didn’t need more chaos. At this point, Musk was not yet ready to fully embrace Trump. But all of that changed when Musk bought Twitter (now X) and reinstated Trump’s account, signaling a shift in his stance.
Trump's Assassination Attempt and Musk's Endorsement
The turning point came in 2024 when Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. Musk’s support for the former president grew stronger following the incident. Hours after the attack, Musk posted on Twitter, declaring, “I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery.”
The following month, Musk attended Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania, wearing a "Make America Great Again" cap. He warned that if Trump lost the election, it might be the “last election” and that it was crucial for the future of democracy to vote for him. Musk went even further, claiming that if Kamala Harris won, she would “shut down X and throw him in jail” for his support of Trump.
Musk’s Current Stance: Trump’s Victory Is Certain
Now, as the 2024 U.S. elections unfold, Musk has made it clear: Donald Trump is the man for the job. On Twitter, he declared Trump the winner of the election, writing, “The people of America gave Donald Trump a crystal clear mandate for change tonight.”
Musk’s journey from supporting Biden to passionately backing Trump highlights the shifting dynamics of his political beliefs. With Biden’s policies no longer aligning with Musk’s vision for the future, Musk has become one of Trump’s most vocal and visible supporters, a far cry from his early dismissal of the former president.