Bernie Sanders Slams Elon Musk's Reported $45M Donations To Trump Campaign: 'We Need A Government That Represents All, Not Just Billionaires'

Author: Benzinga Neuro | July 16, 2024 10:00pm

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has criticized Elon Musk’s reportedly hefty monthly contributions to the presidential campaign of former president Donald Trump, emphasizing the need for public funding of elections.

What Happened: In a social media post on Tuesday, Sanders, a long-standing advocate for wealth redistribution, expressed concern over Musk’s reported monthly donations of $45 million to the Trump campaign. He stressed the importance of overturning Citizens United and transitioning to publicly funded elections to ensure a government that represents all citizens, not just billionaires.

Elon Musk, the world's richest person, is donating $45 million a month to the Trump campaign.

If democracy is to survive in the US, we need to overturn Citizens United and move to public funding of elections.

We need a government that represents all, not just billionaires.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 16, 2024

The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is a significant ruling, dating back to 2010. It concerns campaign finance laws and the First Amendment’s free speech protections.

In a 5–4 decision, the Court determined that the First Amendment’s freedom of speech clause prevents the government from limiting independent political campaign expenditures by corporations, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, and other groups.

See Also: Trump Vs Biden: One Candidate Leaps Ahead Of Another In Latest Survey

Why It Matters: The senator’s post on X further contributes to the ongoing public debate about the influence of billionaires in politics. Musk responded to the Wall Street Journal’s report on his alleged contribution with a ‘Fake Gnus’ meme, seemingly contradicting the article.

Sanders has been a vocal critic of income inequality and the influence of billionaires on American politics. He has previously proposed a 100% tax on incomes over $999 million.

The latest post from the Vermont senator underscores his stance on campaign financing and the need for reforms to limit the influence of the ultra-rich on political campaigns.

This is not the first time Sanders and Musk have clashed over wealth inequality. In 2021, Musk mocked Sanders on Twitter after the senator called for the ultra-wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes.

Photo by Sheila Fitzgerald on Shutterstock

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Shivdeep Dhaliwal

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