Elon Musk has used his social media platform to communicate directly with members of Congress dozens of times on legislation and congressional activities in the months running up to the 2024 election, a megaphone that experts say is akin to lobbying even if it doesn’t meet the legal definition.
Musk owns the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, and he posts regularly to his 202 million followers on a range of issues, including the promotion of his plans for space exploration and his support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. But he also used simple replies to amplify the posts of some Republican members of Congress on claims about illegal immigration and disaster relief, as he becomes more vocal in the run-up to the elections.
The online interactions with lawmakers also deal with his business interests, such as SpaceX. For example, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability announced it would investigate the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to deny $885 million in rural broadband subsidies to Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX.
