According to the complaint, the interview constituted a financial contribution to the Trump campaign, as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which prohibits companies from making donations to political candidates. End Citizens United says the resources X provided, including real-time employee support and Musk’s involvement, were invaluable to the Trump campaign.
The complaint also alleges that Musk endorsed the Trump campaign during the interview.
Federal law prohibits corporations from making donations to political candidates, and prohibits candidates from accepting such contributions. The complaint asserts that any value provided to a candidate in connection with his or her election can be considered a contribution. End Citizens United asks the FEC to “immediately investigate these violations, fine Defendants to the maximum amount permitted by law, and enjoin Defendants from further violations of the law.”
The interview, which aired on Spaces on X and has been viewed millions of times, was delayed by a technical glitch that delayed its start by 40 minutes. Musk, who has previously supported Trump’s candidacy for president, took a stand again during the livestream.
“The Donald Trump and Elon Musk campaign rally at X was not just a rambling stream of lies filled with technical errors, but a blatantly illegal corporate contribution to Donald Trump’s campaign,” said Tiffany Mueller, president of End Citizens United.
Mueller further stressed that the alleged corporate contributions undermine campaign finance laws and set a dangerous precedent for direct corporate involvement in campaigns. The complaint calls on the Federal Election Commission to investigate the company-funded campaign event and hold Trump, his campaign, and X Corp. accountable. Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign and X Corp.’s press office for comment, but they did not respond to requests for comment.
Cover Photo: Elon Musk's X account is seen on a laptop screen and Donald Trump's X account is seen on a phone screen in this photo taken on July 24, 2024 in Poland. Photo Credit: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images
