Musk's political giving tops $445m for Republicans in the midterms; Texas Democrat Talarico makes him a target
Elon Musk has put more than $445m into Republican midterm campaigns, Bloomberg reports, adding about $76-77m in the final stretch. In Texas, Democrat James Talarico is campaigning against Musk's spending.
Left 0 · Centre-left 5 · Centre 1 · Centre-right 0 · Right 2
Sources by leanFollow the moneyMore coverage
How each side framed it
Left-leaning outlets
Money in politics: 'Texas is not for sale' (Guardian on Talarico), 'dark money push' (CNBC), and a USA Today opinion noting Talarico also takes billionaires' cash.
Centre outlets
Centre-rated outlets headline it: “Musk midterm spending tops $442M” (The Hill).
Right-leaning outlets
Scale reported plainly: 'Musk adds $76 million to his Republican midterm give' (Breitbart), '$77 million in final stretch' (Newsmax).
Holding the paradox
Agreed facts
Musk has given more than $445m to Republican midterm efforts, Bloomberg reports, adding about $76-77m recently.
Where claims conflict
Whether it is free speech through spending or buying influence, a point USA Today's opinion piece says applies to both parties' donors.
The paradox
Both parties condemn billionaire money in politics, and both take it.
Sources by lean
Balanced: the same number of articles from the left, the centre and the right (up to 3 each). The bar above still counts every rated outlet we found. Bias and factual ratings come from Media Bias/Fact Check. How we balance · All ratings.
Centre 1
- The Hill
Musk midterm spending tops $442M (paywalled or blocks bots)
Right 1
Showing 1 from each side of 8 rated outlets (L 5 / C 1 / R 2). Capped at 1 because that is all we found on the thinnest side. More coverage
Follow the money
Not yet researched. We haven't yet looked at who gains or loses financially from this story, or who funds the main voices on each side. When we do, we check company filings, the Electoral Commission donations register, lobbying registers, annual reports, InfluenceMap and OpenSecrets, and we apply the same checks to every side. How we follow the money.
Who owns or funds the outlets covering this story (8 outlets)
| Outlet | Lean | Ownership & funding (MBFC) |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomberg | Centre-left | Michael R. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (The parent company of Bloomberg News). According to Investopedia, Bloomberg Terminal (remote software used to access financial information) is the most expensive among financial data providers. source |
| CNBC | Centre-left | CNBC is owned by NBC Universal, which Comcast owns. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Brian L. Roberts, founded by his father, Ralph J. source |
| The Guardian | Centre-left | The Guardian and its companion publication, the Sunday newspaper The Observer, are owned by Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). Scott Trust Limited was created in 1936 to ensure the editorial independence of the publications and owns Guardian Media Group plc (GMG). source |
| The Independent | Centre-left | The Independent is owned by Independent Print Limited, a company owned by the Lebedev family (Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny Lebedev). In 2017, Saudi Businessman Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in the Independent online newspaper. Advertising and subscription generate revenue for the paper..push({}); source |
| USA Today | Centre-left | USA Today is owned by the Gannett Company, headquartered in McLean, Virginia. It is one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States, with interests in newspapers, digital marketing services companies, and television broadcasting. Subscriptions and advertising generate revenue. source |
| The Hill | Centre | In 2021, The Hill was purchased by Nexstar, which owns around 200 TV stations and media outlets nationwide. The founder, chairman, president, and CEO of Nexstar is Perry A. Sook. source |
| Breitbart | Right | After the death of Andrew Breitbart in 2012, Larry Solov became CEO and president of Breitbart News. In 2017, according to Politico, Larry Solov revealed the owner of Breitbart as “himself, founder Andrew Breitbart’s widow, Susie Breitbart, and the Republican mega-donor family, the Mercers.” Further, Solov also stated that he wants “to disclose as little as possible about financial and ownership structure.” source |
| Newsmax | Right | Newsmax is owned by publicly traded Newsmax Inc., which began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol NMAX on March 31, 2025. The company completed a $75 million public offering after previously raising approximately $225 million through a preferred-stock offering. source |