Sen. Cory Booker says he will not settle for marketing campaign donations from Elon Musk
Sen. Cory Booker on Sunday stated he wouldn’t settle for marketing campaign donations from tech mogul Elon Musk however urged the previous Trump adviser to “become involved proper now in a extra substantive manner” in Democrats’ push towards the sweeping GOP-backed spending invoice.
“This invoice is disastrous for our long-term financial system,” Booker informed NBC Information’ “Meet the Press.” “That is an American difficulty, and I welcome Elon Musk to not my marketing campaign. I welcome him proper now, to not sit again and simply hearth off tweets, become involved proper now in a extra substantive manner in placing strain on Congress folks and senators to not do that.”
Requested straight whether or not he would ever settle for marketing campaign funding from Musk, Booker stated, “I might not settle for cash from Elon Musk for my marketing campaign, however I might be supportive of anyone, together with Elon Musk, placing assets ahead proper now to let extra People know” concerning the invoice.
Booker’s remarks come as different Democrats, like Rep. Ro Khanna of California, have floated welcoming Musk into the Democratic Social gathering after a feud between President Donald Trump and the Tesla and SpaceX CEO exploded into public view final week.
“We must always in the end be making an attempt to persuade him that the Democratic Social gathering has extra of the values that he agrees with,” Khanna informed Politico final week after Musk and Trump fired off a collection of social media posts criticizing one another.
The falling out began after Musk referred to as the finances invoice a “disgusting abomination” in a publish on X. In subsequent posts on Reality Social, the president accused Musk of “sporting skinny” and stated “he simply went loopy.”
Musk later accused Trump of “ingratitude” in one other publish on X after he spent $250 million boosting Trump’s marketing campaign in 2024 and accused Trump of hyperlinks to deceased intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein in a now-deleted publish.
On Saturday, in a telephone name with NBC Information, Trump stated he has no need to restore his relationship with Musk after their public spat.
The president additionally responded to a direct query about what would possibly occur if Musk determined to financially help Democrats within the 2026 midterm elections, days after Musk wrote in a publish on X, “In November subsequent 12 months, we hearth all politicians who betrayed the American folks,” showing to check with Republicans who voted for the GOP-backed spending invoice within the Home.
“If he does, he’ll must pay the implications for that,” Trump informed NBC Information, including that there might be “severe penalties.”
In Might, Home Republicans handed a sweeping home coverage invoice referred to as the “One Huge Stunning Invoice Act” that will prolong tax cuts handed within the first Trump administration, improve funding for border safety and remove federal taxes on suggestions and extra time pay. The invoice has additionally drawn scrutiny from Democrats for slashing funding for Medicaid and a few meals stamps whereas including work necessities for Medicaid, which supplies well being take care of low-income People.
Musk and a few Senate Republicans have blasted the invoice for estimated results it might have on the federal debt and deficit, although Trump and Home Republicans have downplayed these issues.
“Extra People have to grasp that if this invoice passes, common People are going to see their prices skyrocket as this president once more pushes laws that’s indicative of his chaos, corruption and cruelty in direction of People,” Booker stated on Sunday.