Elon Musk’s ‘Tony Stark’ energy helped excite Pennsylvanians for Trump. And Republicans are chasing his rising star power.
As Elon Musk's influence continues to rise in Donald Trump's transition to the White House, Republicans have differing views on Musk's impact as they vie to be in the billionaire's circle.
Elon Musk has been enjoying the fruits of his labor from the last month of intense and unprecedented work to deliver a red wave — and a Donald Trump win — in Pennsylvania.
He has reportedly spoken on the phone with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, has weighed in on staffing decisions, and even achieved “uncle” status in the Trump family.
The richest man in the world has become a key player on the national stage, solidifying his influence in the president-elect’s circle after Musk spent millions of dollars and significant time campaigning in battleground Pennsylvania.
Trump frequently lauded Musk’s efforts, though some allies in Pennsylvania have dueling views of the billionaire’s ultimate impact on Trump’s victory. But one thing’s for sure: They all feel Musk brought uninhibited energy and clout to the campaign trail.
The billionaire owner of X went public with his endorsement of Trump on July 13, after the president-elect survived the assassination attempt at his Butler, Pa., rally.
In the months since, Musk has become a surrogate of the president online — often spreading election misinformation on X — and in Pennsylvania, mostly through his pro-Trump America PAC, with which he has hosted town halls, given away $1 million to swing-state voters, and reportedly established a “war room” in Pittsburgh.
“When he entered, I mean, let’s face it, first of all, a lot of people respect him. He’s like the Tony Stark … to a generation,” said U.S. Rep Dan Meuser (R., Pa.), a close ally of Trump’s.
It’s difficult to quantify the exact effect Musk had in Pennsylvania, but Meuser said the billionaire’s status as the richest man in the world was an “attention-getter” for Trump’s campaign. He credited Musk for garnering enthusiasm through his town halls in the commonwealth and his presence on X, but said if the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had not gotten involved, the outcome likely would not have been much different.
“Did he bring excitement? Did he bring more involvement? Did he definitely turn some people’s heads and votes? Definitely,” Meuser said. “But I don’t think it was a game changer.”
Trump won Pennsylvania with more votes than any other Republican statewide candidate in history by growing his support in rural areas while cutting into Vice President Kamala Harris’ base in urban and suburban areas. Musk’s online presence and brand encouraged voter excitement, but it was ultimately the RNC and the Trump campaign who powered on-the-ground efforts, said Josh Novotney, a GOP lobbyist and strategist in Pennsylvania.
U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R., Pa.) specifically highlighted Musk’s personality during his “electric” speech at Trump’s Oct. 5 rally in Butler — his return to the site of the assassination attempt — saying the tech tycoon ignited younger and undecided voters to vote for Trump.
“He was the trump card that got thrown out,” Kelly said, referring to a high-ranking card in certain card games. “And he made a huge difference with a certain segment of the population, including not just by age, but by his creativeness and his mind.”
In a statement, Trump’s team celebrated the voter mobilization efforts from inside the campaign, saying the campaign “never outsourced anything” but was appreciative of outside help.
“Our operation was prepared to win with or without outside groups, but we are grateful for all those — including America PAC — who worked hard to support our efforts to reelect President Trump,” said Kush Desai, the Pennsylvania Team Trump spokesperson.
Pennsylvania Republicans vie to be in Elon Musk’s circle
As Musk’s influence builds amid Trump’s transition to the White House, some Republicans want in on his vision for the future.
Meuser said he and a few other U.S. House members are interested in joining Musk’s potential “Department of Governmental Efficiency” commission (known colloquially as DOGE), which aims to cut what those involved consider to be wasteful spending. At the Oct. 5 rally in Butler, Meuser said, he approached Musk from five feet away and told him about his interest in joining, to which Musk replied: “Great!”
During a celebratory dinner Saturday night at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Jim Worthington, a major Trump donor and owner of the Newtown Athletic Club in newly red Bucks County, mingled with Musk, Trump, and Melania Trump.
“No single person was responsible for the win in Pennsylvania,” Worthington said of Musk’s efforts, but that night at Mar-a-Lago was a “surreal” moment for him to come face-to-face with the billionaire whose “impact on Pennsylvania was tremendous.”
Worthington, who also chaired Pennsylvania’s GOP delegation at the RNC, said Republicans should “be grateful that he got in,” crediting Musk for his millions of dollars spent in the commonwealth and for galvanizing voters through two town halls in Southeastern Pennsylvania, an area crucial to Trump’s win. (Musk almost held a town hall at the NAC before opting for other locations, Worthington said).
And now Worthington wants to keep going to achieve his goal: “Pennsylvania will never be a swing state again, starting in 2024.”
The major Trump donor spoke with a member of Musk’s team late Sunday night, with possible plans to “combine forces” to mobilize Pennsylvania’s GOP voters.
But for all of Musk’s efforts, Meuser said, only one person was key to the Trump win.
“There was no silver bullet to this race. If there was a silver bullet, it was very simply Donald Trump,” Meuser said.