When I think about the future of American politics I see the smiling face of Elon Musk as he hands out millions of dollars on stage in front of a crowd of clapping people. Musk approaches politics the way a YouTuber like MrBeast approaches engaging with viewers. Both men offered large monetary rewards to get people to obey, and they ignored the legality and consequences of their actions.
Over the weekend, Musk handed out $1 million checks to two voters in Pennsylvania. During an event that was recorded and broadcast on X, the millionaire donated money to voters who signed a petition he was selling to support the constitution.
John Dreher, who won the first million dollars, is a self-proclaimed big fan of Musk. “Actually meeting Elon, I kind of forgot about the money,” Dreher said in the X video. “He’s a big influence on guys my age who work hard every day.”
“When he came on stage it was so exciting,” Kristine Fishell, who won her second million dollars, said in her video on X. “He jumped like he did at Butler’s rally, it was really nice to see him. .”
The videos are amazing because they feel more about entertainment than politics. In America, the two have long been at loggerheads, but Musk offering cash prizes to registered voters and getting them to sit down for film testimonials afterward feels like a shift. These are the types of videos that would fit well in the feed of a YouTuber like MrBeast who offers huge cash prizes to people who compete in games where they suffer and humiliate themselves.
These two Pennsylvanians received $1 million each from Elon Musk for signing a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/eef2a8C9ht
– DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) October 20, 2024
Musk has been heavily involved in the US presidential election since the assassination attempt on Trump in July. He started a pro-Trump super PAC and contributed $75 million of his own money, repeatedly posted his support for Trump online, and appeared with the candidate at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
But the billionaire’s latest plan may violate campaign finance law. He’s giving one lucky voter in a swing state who signs his petition $1 million a day, every day, until the election. What is the request? It’s easy. “The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I promise to support the First and Second Amendments,” she said.
Any registered voter who signs on the dotted line receives $47 and is entered for a chance to win $1 million. The money is only available to certain voters. This program is only open to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina. It expires on October 21,” the petition said.
If you’re wondering if this is legal, you’re not alone. On Sunday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called Musk’s show on Meet the Press. “It is clear that Musk has the right to be able to express his views. He has made it very clear that he supports Donald Trump. I don’t want to. “It’s clear that we have a difference of opinion,” said Shapiro. “I’m not denying that, but when you start putting this kind of money into politics, I think it raises some serious questions.”
Rick Hansen, a legal scholar at the UCLA School of Law, called out Musk’s offer on the Election Law Blog. Hansen’s idea? “This is clearly illegal,” Hansen said of the $1 million offer.
Hansen pointed to section 52 USC 10307(c) of the US election law and page 44 of the Justice Department’s Election Cases Manual. “For an offer or payment to violate Section 10307(c), it must have been intended to induce or reward a voter for engaging in one or more acts necessary to vote,” the manual states.
The story is unclear. Money and prizes are for signing the petition, but the petition is thinly veiled and written in language about registered voters. In their videos, Fishell and Dreher emphasized the importance of voting and voting early. It is clear to anyone watching that the cash prizes are not just petition rewards, but cash incentives to get out the vote.
What will come of this? Will Musk be prosecuted? I think that will depend a lot on the outcome of the Presidential election. But one thing I know for sure: the future of American politics will have many MrBeast-style adventures.
