A number one elected Democrat rejected the theory of taking marketing campaign donations from tech billionaire Elon Musk, whose impressive fallout with former best friend Donald Trump has roiled American politics.
Trump on Saturday mentioned Musk will face “serious consequences” if he strikes to strengthen Democratic political applicants in any upcoming elections, following a public rift between the 2 males over Musk’s staunch opposition to the price of US president’s deliberate piece of landmark home regulation.
But Cory Booker, a senator for New Jersey, scotched any concept he would take any Musk money. “I would not accept money from Elon Musk for my campaign,” Booker advised NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday.
But Booker added, regarding the Republicans price range invoice that Musk has criticized, “I would be supportive of anybody, including Elon Musk, putting resources forward right now to let more Americans know, sound the alarm, treat this like a Paul Revere moment.”
Booker added: “More Americans have to understand that if this bill passes, average Americans are going to see their costs skyrocket as this president again pushes legislation that is indicative of his chaos, corruption and cruelty towards Americans.”
The senator’s feedback come as Democrats strive against with the the way to flip the dramatic fallout between Musk and Trump into alternative. Musk became his again at the celebration in 2022 and contributed $270m to Trump’s re-election marketing campaign in 2024, offering a very powerful lend a hand within the Republican’s eventual victory.
As the Trump-Musk feud intensified on Thursday, Musk posted on X: “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.,” obviously regarding any baby-kisser who supported Trump’s price range invoice.
Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman, reportedly talked with certainly one of Musk’s “senior confidants” on remaining week about whether or not Musk may now wish to lend a hand the Democrats within the midterm elections subsequent 12 months.
“Having Elon speak out against the irrational tariff policy, against the deficit exploding Trump bill, and the anti-science and anti-immigrant agenda can help check Trump’s unconstitutional administration,” Khanna advised Semafor.
“I look forward to Elon turning his fire against Maga Republicans instead of Democrats in 2026,” Khanna, who has argued that his celebration used to be unwise to alienate Musk, advised the opening.
However, leftwing politicians, together with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders and New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have publicly pictured Musk as what citizens will have to be in opposition to: robust rich billionaires looking for affect via politics.
Sanders advised CNN’s State of the Union Sunday that Musk had “evolved” into an extremist since he voted for Obama in 2008.
“Over the years he has developed into a rightwing extremist. The issue and drama over what happened last week is that we are living, increasingly, in an oligarchic society. Musk said: ‘Hey listen, I spent $270m dollars to get you elected. I bought you the presidency …”
“This is a fight between oligarchs. It’s a fight about power among the few, and it’s really an embarrassment for those of us who believe in democracy and the rule of law,” Sanders added.
Musk mentioned remaining month that he deliberate to spend “a lot less” on political campaigns as he scaled again and in the end exited his time in executive, the place Trump had tasked him with vastly slashing federal spending and jobs.
“In terms of political spending I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” Musk advised a Bloomberg discussion board in Doha. Asked why, he replied: “I think I’ve done enough.”
But Musk’s opposition to Trump’s “One Big Beautiful” invoice price range proposal, calling it an “disgusting abomination”, via definition places him in relative proximity to Democratic positions on that factor.
Booker used to be requested if agreed with Musk concerning the deliberate regulation that Trump has made a centerpiece of his management. “I agree that it’s going to saddle this country with trillions of dollars of debt, endanger our entire economy … This is a morally wrong bill. And it’s definitely, definitely an economically wrong bill as well.”
“This is not about right or left, it’s about right or wrong,” he added. “And I welcome Elon Musk, not to my campaign. I welcome him right now, not to sit back and just fire off tweets, to get involved right now in a more substantive way and putting pressure on congresspeople and senators to not do this.”