Elon Musk and his $180 million Trump donation

How the CEO – and his company X – could decide November’s election [Courier]( Friend, Elon Musk, the CEO and owner of Twitter/X, has officially endorsed Donald Trump for president. And, while it hasn’t yet been confirmed, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday he pledged $180 million in donations to a pro-Trump PAC over the next three months. Trump’s new VP pick, former venture capitalist JD Vance, has inspired a swath of Silicon Valley tech bros to jump into the race and side with the Trump-Vance ticket. But Musk’s influence might be the most important for a key reason – Twitter/X. [We’ll explain more in a sec, but if you support COURIER’s election coverage in our eleven battleground newsrooms across the country, can you chip in $20 now?]( Here’s the thing, friend: while Elon Musk’s money is a big deal and nothing to sneeze at, his control over X could sway the election. Misinformation thrives on social media, especially X. Musk himself has spread “election fraud” conspiracy theories on the platform. Plus, U.S. intelligence officials have said Russia is already plotting and executing massive misinformation campaigns in an attempt to win November’s election for Trump. At best, Elon Musk has already demonstrated he’s apathetic to X’s misinformation problem. At worst, he could use his influence over the platform to spread lies and conspiracies that help Trump get elected. Here’s the good news: COURIER is stepping up to meet the moment. Our model was designed so our news can thrive in the same places misinformation spreads – on social media feeds and in email inboxes. We meet bad information on platforms like X with good information, neutralizing the threat of those falsehoods. We publish factual, local news in eleven battleground states across the country where voters need it most. [In order to keep providing this service, we count on supporters like you. Can you chip in $20 now to support our local newsrooms?]( Express Donate: If you've stored your info with ActBlue Express, we'll process your contribution instantly: [$5]( [$15]( [$25]( [$50]( Thank you, COURIER team --------------------------------------------------------------- Email us: info@couriernewsroom.com [Become a member!]( This message was sent to: {EMAIL}. Email is a critical way we communicate with grassroots supporters like you. However, if you would like to change your subscription preferences, here are some options: [Receive Fewer Emails]( [Update Your Information]( [unsubscribe]( To give by check: Courier Newsroom Box 509 New York, NY 10032