The strategy: Hate-spending
Elon Musk’s America PAC is lowkey playing a different game this midterm cycle. While most PACs try to hype up their own candidates, Musk’s operation is spending about $3 on attack ads against Democrats for every $1 spent supporting a Republican candidate. It’s giving "we’d rather tear you down than build us up."
Why it’s lopsided
In some races, the pro-GOP ads are barely happening because the candidates have so much baggage that highlighting their actual records would be an instant L.
- Texas: The PAC poured $9.4 million into attacking Democrat James Talarico, but only $1.8 million backing Ken Paxton. The vibes are off for Paxton, who is facing "biblical grounds" divorce filings and a messy history. Since both Paxton and Trump have shaky approval ratings in the state, running positive ads featuring them together is basically a no-go.
- Ohio: America PAC dropped $3.3 million against Sherrod Brown, compared to $1.6 million for Republican Jon Husted. Husted is struggling because he’s essentially become the face of unpopular data center projects—a massive anchor on his polling that even Trump’s recent endorsement couldn't fully shake.
- Iowa: Here’s the wild one. The PAC spent 14 times more money attacking Democrat Josh Turek ($1.5 million) than it did supporting Republican Ashley Hinson ($100k). Hinson is desperate to distance herself from Trump’s agenda, even going as far as copying Turek’s policy positions on diesel exports and the Iran war just to stay competitive in a seat that should be an easy W for the GOP.
Why it matters
Democrats are currently gunning to flip four battleground races to take the Senate majority. If they succeed, it’s not just a political headache—it’s a personal one for Musk. A blue Senate could mean actual congressional investigations into his life and stricter regulations on the tech and AI sectors where his companies operate. Talk about high stakes.
