Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc, recently stirred up political intrigue by conducting a poll on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), to gauge the political leanings of his 196 million followers. The poll, reaching 31.9 million people and receiving 1.6 million responses, asked his followers to identify as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.
The results painted a stark picture: 49.4% of respondents identified as Republicans, 35.2% as Independents, and 15.3% as Democrats. These numbers starkly contrast with other media polls that have consistently shown Democrats leading in the presidential race, with Kamala Harris as the nominee. This discrepancy raises questions about the representativeness of Musk’s followers and the potential influence they hold on the upcoming election.
Musk’s recent political statements add another layer of complexity to the poll. Despite identifying as a moderate Democrat in the past, Musk publicly declared his support for former President Donald Trump earlier this month. He clarified that his endorsement did not necessarily mean agreeing with all of Trump’s actions or statements.
Just a week before the poll, Musk conducted another poll on X, asking his followers to choose between Trump and Harris as the next president. The results showed a significant preference for Trump, with 78.1% of the votes. Trump has also hinted at appointing Musk to a cabinet or advisory role in his potential re-election.
The former president has also hinted at the potential discontinuation of the $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicle purchases if he is re-elected. This could potentially impact Tesla’s sales, a point that former Tesla executive Rohan Patel has highlighted. Patel expressed his support for Harris, arguing that she would be better for Tesla’s long-term success despite Musk’s support for Trump.
The poll results are likely to fuel further debate about the political climate in the United States, the influence of social media on political discourse, and the potential impact of Musk’s actions on the upcoming election. It will be interesting to see how these developments unfold and how they shape the political landscape in the months leading up to the election.
