Elon Musk says he is NOT donating $45 million to Donald Trump for this reason - even after ex-president promised to 'make life good for him'

Elon Musk denies he will donate $45 cardinal a period to thief Donald Trump triumph nan statesmanlike election.

The Tesla leader said he planned to commencement donations successful July to nan America PAC he group up to backmost nan former president pinch monolithic rate injections.

Musk's individual donations were said to beryllium planned astatine $45 cardinal a month, successful summation to those by different deep-pocketed Trump fans.

But he belatedly denied past week's Wall Street Journal study touting nan monolithic figure, citing group acquainted pinch Musk's plans.

'What's been reported successful nan media is simply not true. I americium not donating $45 cardinal a period to Trump,' he said during a video pinch Jordan Peterson.

Musk later followed up connected Twitter, calling nan $45 cardinal fig 'ridiculous' and explaining why he was backing Republicans.

'I americium making immoderate donations to America PAC, but astatine a overmuch little level and nan cardinal values of nan PAC are supporting a meritocracy and individual freedom,' he wrote.

'Republicans are mostly, but not entirely, connected nan broadside of merit and freedom.' 

Whether nan sources cited successful nan first study were wrong, aliases Musk simply changed his mind and claimed it was ne'er nan plan, is unknown.

Musk besides discussed his reasons for donating heavy to Trump and Republicans successful his speech pinch Peterson connected Twitter, which Musk owns.

The arguable psychology professor, wearing a bizarre suit overgarment printed pinch dozens of icons of Jesus, asked Musk astir his move to nan Republicans.

'I don't prescribe to [a] cult of personality,' he said, insisting his ace PAC was 'not expected to beryllium a benignant of hyperpartisan' entity.

Musk said he believed he and nan Republican Party were much intimately aligned connected their 'core values' than he and nan Democrats.

'One of those values being meritocracy, arsenic overmuch meritocracy arsenic possible, truthful you get up arsenic a usability of your skill, and thing else,' he said.

He said nan PAC supported state from 'as overmuch authorities involution arsenic possible' and claimed nan authorities was much restrictive each year.

Musk said Trump showed 'great courage' aft nan effort connected his life astatine a rally connected July 13, wherever a slug grazed his ear.

The businessman first stated his definitive endorsement of Trump for president successful nan hours aft nan assassination attempt, though it was agelong suspected.

Trump returned nan favor, talking up his caller superfan's intelligence at a rally successful Grand Rapids, Michigan.

'We person to make life bully for our smart people, you know? We person immoderate smart people,' he said.

'We person to make life bully for our smart people, and he's arsenic smart arsenic you get.' 

Musk told Peterson he shifted from supporting Democrats, having voted for Joe Biden successful 2020, because, he claimed, it was nan statement of censorship.

This is contempt Republican authorities governments banning books they don't work together with, and Musk often railing against transgender people.

Musk besides cited an aborted suit by nan Justice Department against Space X past twelvemonth claiming he discouraged refugees from applying to activity there.

The billionaire has stepped up his attacked connected Biden and nan Democrats mostly this year, and connected Sunday mocked Vice President Kamala Harris utilizing pronouns successful a 2022 video.

Musk has attracted respective able donors to his America PAC successful caller weeks, including Lonsdale Enterprises and nan Winklevoss Twins. 

The patient donated $1 cardinal and Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss each contributed $250,000.

Others progressive pinch Lonsdale include former US ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft and her husband, Joe Craft. 

Musk was not listed connected a filing by nan group, which showed it raised much than $8 million.

Musk's endorsement of Trump cemented his displacement towards right-wing authorities and gives nan erstwhile president a high-profile backer successful his bid to return to nan White House successful nan November 5 election.

Trump connected chose Ohio US Senator J.D. Vance to beryllium his vice statesmanlike moving mate, arsenic nan Republican Party officially nominated nan erstwhile president to tally again for nan White House.

In March, Trump met pinch Musk and different able donors and caused specified a fuss that Musk made a declare connected societal media afterward.

'Just to beryllium ace clear, I americium not donating money to either campaigner for US President,' he said connected March 6. 

In May, he besides denied media reports that location had been talks complete a imaginable advisory domiciled for him successful immoderate Trump presidency.

Biden run spokesperson James Singer said that Musk knows Trump is 'a sucker who will waste America out, cutting his taxes while raising taxes connected nan mediate people by $2,500.'

'Joe Biden has been opinionated up to group for illustration Elon and fighting for nan mediate people his full profession - and it´s why he´ll triumph successful November,' Singer said successful a statement.

Unlike different billionaires, Musk has not spent heavy connected governmental donations but has antecedently fixed to some nan Republicans and Democrats. 

Musk personally has provided backing to politicians including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Marco Rubio, George W Bush and John Kerry.

His companies Tesla and SpaceX, person benefited from national authorities contracts and subsidies.

However, successful caller years, Musk has seemingly leaned much towards nan GOP.

This whitethorn beryllium successful portion owed to a snub by nan Biden Administration successful 2021 aft it didn't induce Tesla to a acme connected electrical vehicles.

'Let's not hide nan White House giving Tesla nan acold shoulder, excluding america from nan EV summit,' Musk wrote successful December, much than 2 years aft nan sleight.

The pursuing twelvemonth he encouraged his followers connected Twitter to ballot successful a Republican Congress up of nan midterms.

After Musk purchased the societal media level Twitter successful 2022, he reinstated Trump's relationship aft it was suspended successful nan aftermath of January 6.

Musk has mostly railed against left-leaning 'woke' policies and has repeated correct helping rhetoric connected immigration. 

'America will autumn if it tries to sorb nan world,' Mr. Musk posted connected X connected Tuesday. 

He besides suggested that Democrats are 'ushering successful immense numbers of illegals' to perpetrate elector fraud, contempt nary grounds to support this. 

Early successful nan Republican superior season, Musk gave signs he backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. 

DeSantis kicked disconnected his run pinch a unrecorded streamed question and reply pinch nan billionaire, nevertheless this did not materialize into a donation. 

Trump past period reiterated his promise to instantly wantonness nan Biden administration's 'mandate' to support nan electrical conveyance industry. But he added: 'I'm a large instrumentality of electrical cars. I'm a instrumentality of Elon.'

'He does an unthinkable occupation pinch Tesla.'

Musk said they had 'some conversations' and Trump is simply a 'huge instrumentality of nan Cybertrucks,' referring to Tesla's electrical pickup trucks.

While he has publically criticized Biden's policies connected migration and electrical vehicles and moreover his age, Musk has not made immoderate general endorsement successful November's title and Trump has said he did not cognize if he has Musk's support.

Musk's views person wounded his opinionated among immoderate consumers, according to a CivicScience survey.