Elon Musk has begun writing checks to Republican candidates ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, signaling his continued involvement in American politics despite earlier tensions with President Donald Trump.
Two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Axios that Musk has recently made substantial contributions to GOP House and Senate campaigns.
The sources indicated additional donations are expected throughout the election cycle.
The exact amounts of Musk’s contributions will remain undisclosed until campaign finance reports become available later in January.
His financial backing could prove crucial for Republicans seeking to maintain their congressional majorities against Democratic challengers.
Musk emerged as the top political donor during the 2024 election cycle, contributing $291.5 million.
Most of those funds supported Trump’s successful presidential campaign.
The donations come months after a public disagreement between Musk and Trump over legislation known as the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The dispute escalated to the point where Musk considered launching a new political organization called the “America Party.”
The relationship between the two men appears to have been repaired.
They were photographed shaking hands at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk, the late founder of Turning Point USA, held in September.
Following their spring confrontation, Musk publicly expressed remorse for his statements.
“I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,” Musk said.
The 2026 midterm elections will determine control of both chambers of Congress.
All 435 House seats will be contested, along with multiple Senate seats.
Republicans currently maintain narrow control in the House of Representatives with 220 seats compared to the Democrats’ 213 seats.
A party needs 218 seats to secure a majority in the chamber.
The Senate remains under Republican control with 53 seats. The GOP will defend several competitive seats while attempting to expand their majority.
Several prominent lawmakers have announced they will not seek reelection.
Representatives Troy Nehls, Nancy Pelosi, and Jerry Nadler have all declared their intentions to retire from the House.
On the Senate side, Dick Durbin and Thom Tillis are among those stepping away from Congress.
Their departures will create open seat races that both parties will aggressively contest.
Musk made headlines last month after publicly questioning whether his time leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was worth the personal and professional cost.
In a candid interview on “The Katie Miller Podcast,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO expressed deep uncertainty about his high-profile government role.
When asked directly if he would take on DOGE again, Musk’s answer was clear. “I mean, no, I don’t think so,” Musk stated during the conversation with Katie Miller.
The tech mogul suggested he would have been better off focusing on his business ventures instead of diving into Washington’s bureaucratic swamp, indicating that without the political firestorm his government work created, his companies would have fared better.
“I think instead of doing DOGE, I would have basically … worked on my companies, essentially,” he explained during the wide-ranging discussion.
