Elon Musk Wants to Show Up at Your Front Door

Pennsylvania residents: If you hear a knock, it could soon be the Tesla CEO urging you to vote Trump.

Evan Vucci/AP

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What would you do if the world’s wealthiest man came knocking on your door? Ask for a buck? Let ’em in? Run from this clear sweepstakes door scam?

It’s a scenario that could very well happen in Pennsylvania, a state that has reportedly become an obsession for Elon Musk. So much so that the New York Times reports that the Tesla CEO, who is nearly “manic” about sending Donald Trump back to the White House, recently proposed going door-to-door in the Keystone State in order to gin up support for the former president. Musk is so deeply involved in Trump’s reelection campaign that the Times lists several alarming efforts the billionaire has made to assist the former president’s ambitions in recent months. One includes reportedly coordinating with the campaign to block damaging information from appearing on X.

That’s damning stuff. Still, it’s the potential of Musk frantically running around in Pennsylvania, jumping up and down for Trump at one’s doorstep, that feels especially unusual. It would mark an extraordinarily personal appeal but also, perhaps, a terrifying one, a political stunt lab-made to make it abundantly clear that this is the worst timeline.

All of this comes as Pennsylvania is widely considered to be the most critical battleground state of the 2024 election. This week alone, Barack Obama made it the first stop in his campaign tour for Kamala Harris, while Trump returned for two events, including one in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Musk’s preoccupation with the state continues apace, with Gov. Josh Shapiro confirming that the Tesla CEO personally called him last weekend to talk jobs in western Pennsylvania. “We obviously didn’t talk about politics,” Shapiro said.

 Correction, October 14: An earlier version misstated Pennsylvania’s nickname.

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BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things they don’t like—which is most things that are true.

No one gets to tell Mother Jones what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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