Battle of the Billionaire Endorsements: Cuban vs Musk
Both figures have repeatedly advocated for their candidates at rallies and through interviews. Cuban believes that Harris's proposed economic plans hold a promising future for middle-class Americans and small business owners. On the other hand, Musk has independently pumped nearly 75 million dollars into Trump's campaign, while also even awarding registered rally participants 1 million dollars if they sign a document saying they support the first and second amendment.
Oddly enough, this is not the first time that Cuban and Musk have found themselves on opposing sides. There have been numerous ocassion where the two billionaires have bumped heads including government response to the covid 19 pandemic. Musk refers to the government lock down madates as opressive. Cuban's critcises Musk's claims by saying Elon complains about anything that stops Tesla from making more money. Another disagreement between the two is the interpretation of freedom of speech. Since Musk has bought the social site formally known as twitter, many have critized his new appoarch with removing guidlines that incourages respectful discourse. Cuban argues that Musk's intense reform of the app and control of speech doesn't advocate free speech, saying "It's disingenuous to say Twitter is the home of free speech when he chooses to often put his thumb on the scale of reach" (2024).
Makes one think, does Musk or Cuban actually care about the candaiate that they are endorsing or are they trying to get under one another skin?
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/mark-cuban-vs-elon-musk-battle-billionaires-campaign-trail-trump-harris-1972738
The number of celebrity endorsements this election has seen is wild. Politicians have sought to divide themselves into the party they deem most fit, but as you mentioned, this often appears very performative as celebrities try to place themselves above others morally and rationally. The feud between Musk and Cuban highlights that the contentious nature of the election is due largely to competition between supporters, not just the candidates and their teams themselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see the rivalry between Musk and Cuban and how it’s playing out in their respective endorsements of Trump and Harris. Their support may reflect not only their political beliefs but also their ongoing competition and ideological clashes, particularly on issues like free speech and government regulation. Musk’s substantial financial backing of Trump and his controversial incentive for rally participants contrast sharply with Cuban’s alignment with Harris’s middle-class and small business-focused policies. Are these endorsements more about genuine political support, or are they fueled by the longstanding tension between these two billionaires? Either way, their influence certainly adds a unique twist to the campaign
ReplyDeleteI had no clue that these two had gone against each other before and I actually find it really interesting. Both are wildly successful in their own right as business men but the fact that they have come to such different political opinions is what really intrigues me. Also to answer your question I feel as though the do both genuinely support their respective candidates I think that ,for Mark at least, that to openly go out and support Harris is kind of his way of saying "you're not the only rich guy who can support candidates". Also just out of curiosity what was the first incident that sparked this whole thing?
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