Twitter Inc. owner Elon Musk told his audience of more than 100 million followers on the social-media platform to vote for Republicans -- on the eve of midterm elections where Democrats are poised for losses.
“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 Monday.
“Hardcore Democrats or Republicans never vote for the other side, so independent voters are the ones who actually decide who’s in charge!,” he added.
The tweets from Musk, who also serves as chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., marked a startling departure from other CEOs in the US who have largely shunned political activism over fears of alienating both customers and shareholders.
Tech industry watchers painted his move as uncommon, especially so close to an election, and said it would raise further questions about his stewardship of Twitter, which is already seeing advertisers flee over concerns about changes to its content moderation policies.
“It’s unprecedented to have a CEO come straight out and say that,” said Katie Harbath, a former Meta public policy director. “Many others have done donations, so you know what their leanings are. But it’s rare to see them actually tell people who they should go vote for.”
Twitter Turmoil
Musk’s recommendation takes on greater weight now that he runs Twitter, one of the most influential platforms for political communication.
BLOOMBERG