WASHINGTON, April 2, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Elon Musk, one of the world's richest
people, says he won't directly back Joe Biden or Donald Trump in the US
election -- but one look at his X feed makes clear his heart is with the
Republican.

Trump, meanwhile, needs cash -- burdened with millions of dollars in legal
troubles, he is also gearing up to fight what will be the most expensive
election in US history.

So could Musk ride to Trump's rescue?

In a recent interview with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, the owner of X,
formerly Twitter, said he was "leaning away" from Biden, but maintained that
it was "unlikely" he would contribute to any campaign.

If he chose to back a candidate, "I will provide a very detailed explanation
of why I am endorsing one or the other."

For close Musk watchers, however, this seemed to edge away from a firm pledge
days earlier to stay above the fray.

It came as Trump is picking up the phone to call multi-billionaires, hoping
they will open their checkbooks and come to his rescue, according to The
Washington Post.

Cold-calling those richer than him is not something Trump enjoys, but the
former president is trailing Biden badly in fundraising and the campaign has
still eight months to go.

- Billionaire breakfast -

Two of the world's most public, and controversial, figures, Trump and Musk
have not always seen eye to eye.

Trump, for one, is not a believer in electric cars such as those that Musk,
who is also chief at Tesla, has championed -- he has ridiculed them for being
inconvenient and dependent on government subsidies.

During his 2016-2020 presidency, Musk kept his distance -- though that was
before his public tilt to the far right.

Musk also flirted with Trump alternatives in the Republican primary,
expressing support for Florida governor Ron DeSantis and entrepeneur Vivek
Ramaswamy before they flamed out.

Observers agree that Trump has remained quiet on Musk's transgressions in
hope for his money.

The Washington Post revealed that Musk attended a breakfast for billionaires
in Florida last month where the former president pitched a group of donors.

That provoked swift speculation -- but Musk said "it was just breakfast," and
that nothing more came out of it.

- 'Dark money' -

If Musk wanted to help Trump more directly, he could hand over limitless cash
anonymously, according US election laws.

Called "dark money" by its critics, Musk could bankroll a candidate incognito
via specially-created nonprofits called Super PACS.

"These groups can run ads that literally say, 'vote for Trump'" without any
required disclosure on the source of the money behind them, said Shanna
Ports, senior legal counsel at the Campaign Legal Center.

Another avenue is to contribute after the fact: Musk could help erase Trump's
debts after the election, and thereby avoid riling the current White House
occupant.

A rumor circulated in recent weeks that Trump was also pitching Musk to buy
his social media platform Truth Social, and combine it with X.

Truth Social's parent company went public last week, with shares initially
soaring on Wall Street. That meant Trump, who has nearly 80 million shares in
the venture, has holdings now estimated in the billions, meaning he may be
less desperate for cash.

But that wealth is on paper only, and financial experts warn that the mega-
valuation could vanish if Trump ever tries to sell his shares.

- 'Combustible' -

Money aside, Musk's political inclinations give Trump a clear boost.

His presence on social media is often rife with unfounded conspiracy
theories, disinformation and right-wing talking points that align with Trump,
especially on immigration.

They also take place on a platform he owns -- where he has free rein to
promote (or demote) certain content.

The US Federal Election Committee has received complaints in the past when
platforms were perceived as biased, though it never acted on them.

"Those combined create a combustible moment for us where the experience on
Twitter (X) is in the hands of a haphazard erratic billionaire who gets bored
and uses it to promote his own views," said Nora Benavidez, senior counsel at
the watchdog Free Press.

Donations or not, "Musk's influence is incredibly powerful," she added.