Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a top ally of Donald Trump, faced sharp backlash this week after openly bribing voters at a rally in Wisconsin while simultaneously invoking billionaire philanthropist George Soros as a supposed threat to democracy.
During a campaign event in Green Bay ahead of Tuesday’s high-stakes state supreme court election, Musk was heckled by attendees, prompting him to dismiss the disruption as the work of “Soros operatives.” The claim—an oft-repeated conspiracy among the far-right—was particularly absurd given that Musk himself was engaged in the very behavior he accuses Soros of: using his immense wealth to manipulate elections.
Buying Votes, Musk Style
Musk’s involvement in Wisconsin is no coincidence. The election pits Brad Schimel, the Republican candidate backed by Musk and the Trump machine, against Democratic frontrunner Susan Crawford. The outcome will determine the ideological balance of the state’s supreme court, with potential ramifications for key issues such as voter rights, reproductive freedom, and election integrity.
As part of his push to secure a win for Schimel, Musk resorted to outright bribery, giving away $1 million checks at his Sunday night rally as an incentive to compel attendance and influence votes. Critics swiftly denounced this move as an open act of corruption and a blatant violation of electoral laws.
Political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen summed up the hypocrisy: “Sorry—is Elon Musk attacking George Soros… while he’s literally buying an election in Wisconsin? The exact thing that Republicans baselessly claim that George Soros does?”
Social justice advocate and musician Bill Madden put it even more bluntly: “The world’s richest Nazi, Elon Musk, claims hecklers are paid Soros operatives while he literally bribes people to vote for the fascist, far-right candidates of his choosing.”
A Referendum on Musk and Trump
This election is about more than just one seat on Wisconsin’s high court. With Musk at the center of the controversy—having pumped tens of millions into the race—it has become a referendum on both him and Trump’s broader agenda.
Dave Zweifel of The Capital Times framed it as a critical moment for democracy: “Trump has already put America’s richest people in charge of dismantling the U.S. government, exacting supposed savings from programs that mostly benefit those most in need to help extend the tax cuts for the rich that are expiring later this year. Thwarting this duo’s brazen attempt to use Wisconsin to sanction their methods would go a long way to signal the people’s disgust.”
With Musk’s reckless interference now in the spotlight, the Wisconsin election has morphed into a defining battle against billionaire corruption, political manipulation, and the outright purchase of democracy itself. The question now is whether voters will push back against Musk’s authoritarian ambitions—or allow him to set a dangerous precedent for the future of American elections.
