Musk, now the owner of the social media giant, weighed in on the hotly election midterm elections after facing weeks of backlash over possible changes to Twitter policy surrounding the platform’s freedom of expression.
He has long described his political affiliation as being independent or moderate and suggested that other independent voters should back the GOP to offer a check on Democratic President Joe Biden’s authority.
“To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic,” Musk wrote.
He added in a follow-up tweet: “Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who’s in charge!”
His endorsement was met with mixed reception from Twitter users, some of whom raised concerns about how it gels with past statements supporting neutrality on the platform.
“Hi @elonmusk, in this tweet in April, you said Twitter should be politically neutral,” Reuters journalist Kanishka Raj Singh tweeted. “How would you, as the head of Twitter, justify recommending which party people should vote for after you advocated for political neutrality for the platform?”
In Musk’s earlier tweet, he wrote that “for Twitter to deserve public trust, it must be politically neutral, which effectively means upsetting the far right and the far left equally.”
Musk’s History of Political Support
Despite Musk’s endorsement of the GOP for this year’s midterms, he has a history of supporting both major parties.
In May, Musk tweeted that he donated to and voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and voted for Biden in 2020, saying at the time that he planned to vote for Republicans in the midterm elections due to “unprovoked attacks by leading Democrats against me & a very cold shoulder to Tesla & SpaceX.”
However, he tweeted in June that he voted for Republican House candidate Mayra Flores in a Texas special election, noting it was the “first time” he ever voted for a Republican. He added that he predicted there would be a “massive red wave in 2022.”
He also said at the time that he was not sure whom he would support in the 2024 presidential election, but that he was leaning toward Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In July, Musk called on former President Donald Trump to “hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.”
What Polls Say About Midterms
Republicans appear poised to regain control of the House, but Democrats remain competitive in a number of tight races that could leave the GOP with only a slim majority. The Senate is seen as a toss-up, with races in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania likely determining the outcome.
Traditionally, the president’s party loses congressional seats in their first midterm, and Democrats have been bracing for loses. However, they are banking on increased enthusiasm surrounding abortion, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, to mitigate loses.
Republicans’ strength among independent voters could drag them over the finish line. A CBS/YouGov poll published in late October found an 18-point swing among independent voters in favor of Republicans, indicating they could help the GOP pick up seats on Tuesday.
Newsweek reached out to Musk-owned Tesla for comment.
