Elon Musk Faces Uproar After Seizing Key Handle on X to Help Trump
Elon Musk and his super PAC, America PAC, have taken over the @America handle on X to promote their mission to elect Donald Trump.
Musk appeared to acquire the handle over the weekend as he spoke on stage with Trump at his Butler, Pennsylvania, rally. “Read @America to understand why I’m supporting Trump for President,” read Musk’s new bio that Saturday.
Following the acquisition, the pro-Trump super PAC made a big announcement: They’ll be paying for personal information of swing-state voters.
The American PAC is offering the public a $47 referral fee for each registered swing-state voter who signs an online petition in support of the First and Second Amendments. The petition requires signers to submit their personal contact information in the process. Presumably, they will be targeted by the PAC in its quest to elect Trump.
While it is a federal crime to pay someone to vote or to register to vote, Musk’s group is skirting the law given that it’s not illegal to pay voters to sign a petition (or to pay the third party referrers in this case). But earlier this year, the super PAC was under fire by multiple states for election interference for a different data-collection scheme.
Musk’s PAC says its goal “is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign in support of the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms,” which means Musk may have to pay up to $47 million to Trump supporters.
X users were annoyed but not surprised over the billionaire’s recent moves.
As of Monday, it’s unclear how the PAC will deliver the cash.
