WASHINGTON, July 12 : Billionaire Elon Musk, who has been ramping up criticism of US President Joe Biden, has donated to a political group working to elect rival presidential candidate Donald Trump, Bloomberg reported on Friday, citing sources.
The report did not indicate how much Musk donated but added it was “a sizable amount” given to a group called America PAC.
Bloomberg reported that the PAC — a group that can receive unlimited contributions for political activity — is next required to disclose its list of donors on July 15.
In March, Trump, a former US President who is expected to be formally nominated next week as the Republican Party’s candidate for the Nov. 5 election, met with Musk and other wealthy donors.
In response to reports of the meeting, South Africa-born Musk posted on X: “Just to be super clear, I am not donating money to either candidate for US President.” In May, he also denied media reports that there had been talks over a potential advisory role for him in any Trump presidency.
Musk, the world’s richest person who runs electric car maker Tesla, rocket maker SpaceX, social media company X and other companies, did not respond to Reuters’ request for comments.
Musk in recent years has more fully embraced the Republican Party, which has weighed on the reputation and sales of Tesla, the biggest source of his wealth.
Trump last month reiterated his pledge to immediately abandon the Biden administration’s “mandate” to support the electric vehicle industry. But he added: “I’m a big fan of electric cars. I’m a fan of Elon.”
“He does an incredible job with Tesla.”
Musk said they had “some conversations” and Trump is a “huge fan of the Cybertrucks,” referring to Tesla’s electric pickup trucks.
While he has publicly criticized Biden’s policies on immigration and electric vehicles and even his age, Musk has not made any formal endorsement in November’s contest and Trump has said he did not know if he has Musk’s support.
He has also endorsed antisemitic comments on X, though Musk has denied being antisemitic.
Musk’s views have hurt his standing among some consumers, according to a CivicScience survey shown exclusively to Reuters.
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Musk donates to group working to elect Trump, Bloomberg reports
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Musk donates to group working to elect Trump, Bloomberg reports
Portugal far-right hopeful enters vote as favorite
LISBON: A far-right candidate in Portugal’s presidential election, Andre Ventura, has emerged as the favorite for Sunday’s first round of voting, according to polls.
But regardless of whom the president of the Chega (“Enough“) party encounters in the second-round runoff in February, he has very little chance of carrying the day to succeed conservative incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Some polls point to a second-round duel between Ventura and Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro, while others suggest that Luis Marques Mendes, who has the support of conservative Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, could make the run-off.
Among the 11 candidates, a record number, two others also stand a chance to win a spot in the second round. They are Henrique Gouveia e Melo, a retired admiral who led Portugal’s vaccination campaign during the Covid epidemic, and Joao Cotrim Figueiredo, a liberal member of the European Parliament.
While Ventura’s chances of moving past the first round are slim, the election marks an important step in his electoral fortunes that have improved at lightning pace since he founded Chega in 2019.
His party, highly centered on its leader, won 22.8 percent of the vote and 60 seats in a general election in May of last year, turning it into the biggest opposition party.
The head of state’s role in Portugal is mostly ceremonial, although the president has the power in times of crisis to dissolve parliament, call elections or dismiss the prime minister.
Ventura has expressed his desire to eventually run the country as prime minister, with experts saying that he sees Sunday’s vote mainly as a test of his popularity.
“Andre Ventura is running to keep his voter base,” said Antonio Costa Pinto, a political scientist at Lisbon University. “There could be a surprise increase,” he told AFP.
A stronger far right would add pressure on the minority government of Montenegro who relies on Chega for support for the implementation of some of his policies.
Portugal, a country of nearly 11 million inhabitants, is a member of the European Union and the eurozone. It accounts for around 1.6 percent of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP).
But regardless of whom the president of the Chega (“Enough“) party encounters in the second-round runoff in February, he has very little chance of carrying the day to succeed conservative incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
Some polls point to a second-round duel between Ventura and Socialist Antonio Jose Seguro, while others suggest that Luis Marques Mendes, who has the support of conservative Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, could make the run-off.
Among the 11 candidates, a record number, two others also stand a chance to win a spot in the second round. They are Henrique Gouveia e Melo, a retired admiral who led Portugal’s vaccination campaign during the Covid epidemic, and Joao Cotrim Figueiredo, a liberal member of the European Parliament.
While Ventura’s chances of moving past the first round are slim, the election marks an important step in his electoral fortunes that have improved at lightning pace since he founded Chega in 2019.
His party, highly centered on its leader, won 22.8 percent of the vote and 60 seats in a general election in May of last year, turning it into the biggest opposition party.
The head of state’s role in Portugal is mostly ceremonial, although the president has the power in times of crisis to dissolve parliament, call elections or dismiss the prime minister.
Ventura has expressed his desire to eventually run the country as prime minister, with experts saying that he sees Sunday’s vote mainly as a test of his popularity.
“Andre Ventura is running to keep his voter base,” said Antonio Costa Pinto, a political scientist at Lisbon University. “There could be a surprise increase,” he told AFP.
A stronger far right would add pressure on the minority government of Montenegro who relies on Chega for support for the implementation of some of his policies.
Portugal, a country of nearly 11 million inhabitants, is a member of the European Union and the eurozone. It accounts for around 1.6 percent of the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP).
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