Jumping Sycophant’s Support Made Some Young Men Less Likely to Vote for Trump

Elon Musk has put the full weight of both his bank account and his bizarre little leaps behind Trump's presidential bid. But he might actually be doing more harm (to Trump) than good.

By Kylie Cheung | October 23, 2024 | 1:42pm

Photo: Getty Images Politics 2024 Election

Jumping Sycophant’s Support Made Some Young Men Less Likely to Vote for Trump

In July, Elon Musk formally endorsed Donald Trump, who once said Musk would “drop to his knees and beg” at his direction—turns out Trump was right! Not only that, but Musk dumped over $70 million into a super PAC for Trump and, as of this weekend, is using the PAC to give out $1 million per day until Election Day to newly registered swing state voters. Musk’s desperation for Trump’s approval is boundless: Earlier this month, at their first joint rally, he managed to debase himself further, becoming (even more of) a laughing stock as he hopped and skipped out on stage, twice leaping up into the air as Trump looked on with poorly concealed disgust.

But as Musk puts the full weight of both his bank account and his bizarre little leaps behind Trump’s presidential bid, he might be doing more harm to the former president than good. According to a new poll of 18 to 29-year-old men published on Tuesday by Blueprint, “70% of male voters, but just 61% of the youngest of them, know about Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump.” Of these male voters 24% said Musk’s endorsement made them more likely to support Trump—but 28% said it makes them less likely. While 45% said Musk’s endorsement “has no impact” on who they support.

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I’m no pollster, but I’m hardly under the impression that a serially accused sexual predator who publicly threatened to impregnate Taylor Swift improved Trump’s standing among women voters. Campaigning with Musk was probably meant to mobilize the men’s rights crowd that Musk has spent the last several years rising through the ranks of. But apparently that hasn’t translated into much, or any, added support among male voters.

If anything, Musk seems to be a liability in Trump’s quest to prove to young, male voters that he’s hip and cool instead of a 78-year-old man who goes nonverbal and sways to “Hallelujah” at campaign events. Former midwestern, high school football coach and current Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz also capitalized on Musk’s noted void of coolness at a Tuesday rally: “I will talk about [Trump’s] running mate. His running mate: Elon Musk. Elon is on that stage jumping around, skipping like a dipshit,” Walz said, to uproarious applause. A clip of this comment is now making the rounds as social media users join Walz in a laugh or three at Musk’s expense.

Trump’s certainly clocked Musk’s bizarre physical stunts at his rallies. During an October 9 rally, Trump said he “[thinks] Elon Musk is great,” nodding to Musk “jumping around” and “doing jumping jacks and stuff.” I imagine if someone were bank-rolling my entire field operation and attempting to bribe the entire electorate of swing state voters, I’d have to pretend to think they were “great” and tolerate their “jumping jacks and stuff,” too.

Except… Musk’s politicking has been unhelpful. Not only is Musk facing legal threats for appearing to illegally offer money to people who register to vote, but the super PAC he started to support Trump is reportedly faking voter contact data, which could seriously hurt Trump’s campaign in states like Arizona and Nevada in this final stretch.

Excellent gambit, sir. And an “excellent gambit, sir” to Trump, too, for always fully understanding what a fraud Musk is, and handing him such an outsized role in his campaign anyway. I really can’t think of a more deserving duo than Donald Trump and his jumping sycophant to receive this scale of public humiliation.