Trump ally launches new super PAC to counter Musk
Fishback, who is represented by Lex Politica, the same firm that represents Musk and his SuperPAC AmericaPAC, is putting $1 million of his own money into his PAC.
FSD PAC's formation comes amid an intensifying standoff between the world's wealthiest man and the Republican party. Musk, the GOP's largest individual donor, has publicly threatened to start his own party, the 'America Party,' if Congress passes Trump's sweeping domestic policy package, known as the Big Beautiful Bill.
The Senate passed that bill on Tuesday and it could land on the president's desk this week.Trump on Tuesday, said he wasn't concerned Republicans would be swayed by Musk or his money. 'I don't think he should be playing that game with me,' the president said.A Trump ally added that he was not too concerned about Musk's threats, noting his lackluster track record of political endorsements.
'A guy named Elon Musk tried to play Kingmaker in the 2024 Republican primary by backing Ron DeSanctimonious,' said the person who was granted anonymity to speak freely. Musk also spent millions to sway a Wisconsin Supreme Court race, including handing out million-dollar checks to two Wisconsin voters, but the Democrat won handily anyway.'For it to have any impact, you'd have to have Republicans leaving the Republican Party of President Trump and joining a new party just so they can take a check from Elon,' said a Republican strategist granted anonymity to discuss internal thinking. 'I just don't see that happening.'
And FSD is just one of several pro-Trump organizations ready to attack Republicans deemed disloyal. Just last week, another pro-Trump group, MAGA Kentucky, aired a TV ad against Rep. Thomas Massie, one of only two House Republicans who voted against the president's marquee legislation. The 30-second spot targets Massie for voting against legislation that cuts taxes and funds border security, and puts him alongside Iran's leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)
Musk has been criticizing the legislation for weeks but his attacks have ramped up over the past few days as the legislation gets closer to the finish line. The owner of Tesla and X said that conservative lawmakers who support the bill 'will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth' and said he 'will' support Massie.
Trump escalated the rhetoric on Tuesday morning, telling reporters that his administration 'will have to take a look' at deporting Musk, a South African native and naturalized U.S. citizen. 'We might have to put DOGE on Elon,' Trump said, referring to the agency at the center of his government-shrinking agenda.
Musk, for his part, responded on X: 'So tempting to escalate this. So, so tempting. But I will refrain for now.'
Irie Sentner contributed to this report.
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