Even after his public spat with President Donald Trump and his May resignation as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk continued to support the Republican Party with his immense wealth.
Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, he poured nearly half a billion dollars in political donations into GOP candidates.
After the Democrats secured a landslide victory in both the Senate and the House, the billionaire reacted with a ten-word sarcastic tweet.
The post earned 12.5 million views within a day, but his joke didn’t sit well with netizens and drew severe backlash.
“Think of all the good you could have done with that money instead of backing corrupt politicians,” one user said.
Elon Musk posted a snide remark after spending $474 million on GOP candidates
Elon Musk, currently the world’s richest person with nearly $900B in net worth, funneled nearly $474 million into Republican organizations and candidates in the 2025-26 election cycle, according to US Federal Election Commission data.
Only Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, spent more in an election cycle than Musk did during this cycle, when he ran for president in 2020.
The staggering amount sparked widespread backlash against Musk, with many accusing him of using his wealth to try to “sway” elections.
After several news outlets declared the Democrats a clear winner, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time.”
He followed it up with an image that said, “Sorry! We are experiencing technical difficulties.”
On November 2, The New York Times published a breakdown of his donations, claiming that $168 million went to Ken Paxton, the GOP candidate in Texas who lost to Democrat James Talarico as the Lone Star State voted blue for the first time in nearly four decades.
About $216 million went to his own Political Action Committee (PAC), which spends money on different campaigns across the country.
$30 million went to the super PAC backing House Republicans, $44 million to other Republican candidates at the federal level, and roughly $16 million to state-focused political efforts in Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin
Musk’s midterms spending and subsequent reaction sparked heated reactions
Musk, already a divisive figure both for his online activities and political stances, faced a fiery public outcry over his tweet.
“You dropped half a f**king BILLION on this s**t and got dog-walked,” one user commented. Another said, “America is not for sale, you a**hole.”
“A school teacher defeated your trillions. You are nothing,” said a third, referring to Talarico’s past career as an educator.
A fourth commented, “It had nothing to do with your lasers, Elon. It had to do with your corruption, cruelty, and incompetence.”
“If you carry on with the meddling, you will be hung out to dry deservedly, with no sympathy. That half a billion you just lost on backing Trump could have saved many American children’s lives,” wrote a fifth.
Earlier, after reports of Musk’s spending went public, veteran US Senator Bernie Sanders wrote on X, “Musk’s super PACs have now spent over $400 million to buy the midterm elections.”
“This campaign is not just about Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s about whether the world’s first trillionaire can buy our government,” he said. “Say NO to Musk. Say NO to oligarchy. Say yes to democracy.”
Actor and vocal Democrat supporter Mark Ruffalo called the tech mogul “goofy” and said, “Don’t want anyone looking into exactly what the F you did with DOGE. And whining about losing an election.”
Elon Musk’s reputation after his DOGE stint negatively affected Tesla sales
Previously, Musk faced similar backlash over the extent of his influence on government policy as a non-elected individual, especially during his DOGE days in 2025.
Appointed to lead the administration’s cost-cutting drive, Musk pushed for sweeping reductions across the federal government, leading to thousands of federal employees losing their jobs or accepting buyouts.
Dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID) became one of DOGE’s most contentious decisions, prompting lawsuits over its access to sensitive government information and the scope of its oversight.
A federal judge ruled in March 2025 that DOGE’s actions in dismantling USAID likely violated the Constitution, highlighting concerns about the legality and authority behind the cuts.
In September, hundreds of those who lost their jobs were rehired by the General Services Administration (GSA), a body that manages staffing for federal workplaces.
“Ultimately, the outcome was that the agency was left broken and understaffed,” Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official, told The Associated Press at the time. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”
Musk’s political activities also spilled over into his business interests. His work with the DOGE and embrace of far-right views online led to large-scale protests and boycotts, followed by Tesla profits being sliced by two-thirds in 2025, with sales in Europe falling to 39% in the first three months.
Despite Musk downplaying the role his ideology may have played, financial analysts such as JP Morgan and Wedbush Securities warned of “unprecedented brand damage” and a “full-blown crisis.”
“You really can’t take an L with any kind of grace,” one user said
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