Elon Musk is putting major money behind Republican efforts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
He sent a reported $10 million donation to a key Kentucky race weeks after he said he planned to reduce his political spending.
Musk announced last spring that he would step back from political spending, but federal disclosures show he gave a combined $20 million to two major Republican-aligned outside groups by the end of 2025 and then put another $10 million into a Kentucky Senate contest last month.
Business Insider reported that Musk gave $5 million each in December 2025 to the Congressional Leadership Fund and the Senate Leadership Fund, and that he made identical $5 million donations to the same groups in June 2025, totaling $20 million.
On the Kentucky race, Axios reported that Musk gave $10 million in January to the pro-Nate Morris super PAC Fight for Kentucky, backing Morris in the Republican primary to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Back in May 2025, Musk indicated he was shying away from making political donations.
"In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future," he said at the time. "If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it.
"I do not currently see a reason."
Musk’s donor role also continues to carry political risk for Republicans.
"Musk as a donor is important [because] money in politics is important, but Musk himself is a politically polarizing figure," said Cayce Myers, a Virginia Tech public relations professor who has focused on political campaigns. "As his money is needed, the fact that he is involved does create a complicated political situation for Republicans."
There has been backlash regarding Musk’s involvement in government and election strategies.
President Donald Trump established a "Department of Government Efficiency" in a Jan. 20, 2025, executive order, but the White House later said in a court filing that Musk is not a DOGE employee and has no authority to make decisions.
Musk and groups associated with him have also drawn legal and political scrutiny over cash giveaways tied to voter participation.
In the 2024 presidential campaign, Musk promoted a $1 million-a-day giveaway through America PAC for swing-state voters who signed a petition, prompting lawsuits and challenges.
In Wisconsin’s 2025 Supreme Court race, Musk announced a $1 million award to a Wisconsin voter days before the election, with the contest becoming a proxy fight over his political influence.
"He was very visible, very all over the place, in the last 30 days of the election," said Wisconsin GOP strategist Brandon Scholz.
That race set a record for spending in a judicial election.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.