cover of episode Musk’s million dollar giveaway

Musk’s million dollar giveaway

2024/10/24
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Dana Mattioli
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Noel King
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Tim Higgins
一名影响力大的科技和商业记者,特别关注科技行业与政治的交叉领域。
Topics
Noel King:报道了马斯克通过赠送百万美元奖金鼓励选民登记投票的活动,并指出该行为可能违反联邦法律。同时探讨了马斯克与白宫的关系以及可能获得的政治影响力。 Tim Higgins:详细描述了马斯克在宾夕法尼亚州等摇摆州进行的竞选活动,包括举行市政厅会议、鼓励尽早投票等。他分析了马斯克的策略,指出其目标是提高共和党投票率,帮助特朗普连任。他还讨论了马斯克的百万美元彩票活动,解释了其规则和目的,并分析了该活动的法律争议。 Dana Mattioli:深入探讨了马斯克为支持特朗普竞选所做的努力,包括创建超级政治行动委员会(PAC)、捐款以及利用其社交媒体影响力进行宣传。她揭示了马斯克秘密捐款给共和党事业的情况,并分析了马斯克的政治动机,包括其可能在特朗普政府中担任的政府效率委员会等角色。 Tim Higgins: 马斯克正在宾夕法尼亚州等摇摆州进行积极的竞选活动,目标是提高共和党投票率,帮助特朗普连任。他的策略包括举行市政厅会议,鼓励尽早投票,以及举办百万美元的彩票活动来吸引人们的注意力并鼓励他们登记投票。虽然该活动可能存在法律争议,但其目的是为了提高人们对请愿书的认识,而请愿书本身则要求签署者登记投票。马斯克的活动旨在制造媒体效应,并试图将热情转化为实际行动,但最终结果仍有待观察。 Dana Mattioli: 马斯克通过创建超级政治行动委员会(PAC)并捐款7500万美元,以及利用其社交媒体影响力公开支持特朗普,积极参与特朗普的竞选活动。他还秘密向共和党事业捐款,并曾秘密资助德桑蒂斯。马斯克的政治参与度很高,远超其他富人,其动机可能包括在特朗普政府中担任政府效率委员会等角色。 Dana Mattioli: 马斯克的百万美元彩票活动为特朗普的竞选创造了巨大的媒体效应,这在资金紧张的竞选活动中非常有价值。此外,通过请愿书收集的电子邮件可以用于特朗普的精准宣传。马斯克的超级政治行动委员会(PAC)主要目标是帮助特朗普连任,但也参与了一些共和党下议院的竞选。马斯克还利用其在社交媒体上的巨大影响力公开支持特朗普,并试图争取硅谷左倾人士的支持。他秘密向共和党事业捐款,也曾秘密资助德桑蒂斯,这表明他积极参与共和党政治,其政治动机可能包括在特朗普政府中担任非正式顾问或类似角色。

Deep Dive

Key Insights

Why is Elon Musk giving away prizes to compel people in swing states to register to vote?

To increase voter registration and early voting.

Why might Elon Musk's $1 million giveaway be considered illegal?

Federal law prohibits paying people to register to vote.

Why would Elon Musk be interested in an informal advisory role with Trump?

To cut regulations and reduce government waste.

Why might Elon Musk's role in government be informal rather than a cabinet position?

Cabinet positions require stock liquidation, which Musk may avoid.

Why might Elon Musk be interested in reducing government waste?

He has publicly complained about overregulation and government inefficiencies.

Chapters
Elon Musk's million-dollar giveaway to encourage voter registration is under scrutiny for potential illegality. The Justice Department warns that paying people to register to vote is prohibited by federal law.
  • Elon Musk is giving away $1 million daily to compel people in swing states to register to vote.
  • The Justice Department sent a letter to Musk's super PAC warning that the giveaway may be illegal.
  • Federal law prohibits paying people to register to vote, but Musk's giveaway is tied to signing a petition, which may be a loophole.

Shownotes Transcript

Elon Musk has become Trump’s most important fundraiser and his hands-on approach is breaking political norms, according to Tim Higgins and Dana Mattioli of the Wall Street Journal.

This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Amanda Lewellyn, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Noel King.

Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast)

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Elon Musk awarded Kristine Fishell with a $1 million check during the town hall in Pittsburgh. Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images.

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