Hey everybody. Welcome back to the Elon Musk
Podcast. This is a show where we discuss
the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The
Boring Company, and Neurolink. I'm your host, Will Walden.
So why is America PAC, this is Elon Musk's PAC spending so much
more on Facebook and YouTube ads than on X, his own platform.
And what swing states are they focusing on the most?
And also, why is Elon giving away $1,000,000 per day until
the election? Today, we're going to break down
these details, including how Musk's PAC is targeting specific
interests like Joe Rogan and also the Boy Scouts.
Now, America PAC, founded by Elon Musk in July of 2023, has
emerged as a significant player in the pro Trump fundraising and
advertising scene. Musk has personally injected $75
million into the political action committee, or the PAC,
which he focused on advertising efforts on various platforms,
but curiously not heavily on his own social media platform X.
You know, in the past three months, America PAC spent 200
and $1000 on X ads, while it's advertising on other platforms,
particularly Facebook and YouTube, has been substantially
higher. The pack spending on Facebook
and Instagram is over $3,000,000 during the same period, while an
additional 1.5 million went to ads on Google, most of which
appeared on YouTube, Now X and Facebook.
The comparison for America pack is striking.
From July to October, they spent $201,000 on X ads across 59 ads,
while more than 3 million was allocated to over 1900 ads on
Facebook and Instagram. The heavy investment in Meta's
platforms, particularly when Musk owns X, is kind of
unexpected. This heavy investment in Metis
platforms, particularly when Musk owns X, is a big deal.
Metis ad transparency reports indicate that America PAC is
focused heavily on swing states, with North Carolina and
Pennsylvania being their top targets.
Now. For Musk, who has emphasized X
potential for advertising, this relatively low spending on its
own platform raises questions about the effectiveness of X
compared to its competitors. Now, despite X being the social
media platform Musk directly controls, America PAC's efforts
on Facebook have generated far more ads, and likely more
impressions, too. While fewer than 7000 people
follow the PAC's X account, the advertising campaign on Facebook
targets a much broader audience. Mena's Ad Library reveals that
America PAC has run ads targeted interests as varied as Kelsey
Grammar, Trophy Hunting, Kid Rock, the Boy Scouts of America,
and also Joe Rogan. This audience tailoring allows
the pack to reach specific voter segments across key battleground
states. Now, America Pack has targeted
North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, Wisconsin,
Georgia, and Arizona with ads for recent data shows a
significant shift towards Pennsylvania.
In the past seven days, over 25% of its ads have been directed at
Pennsylvania voters, reflecting Musk's increasing focus on the
state. Now, Interestingly, Musk has
been physically present at several rallies in Pennsylvania,
signaling his direct involvement in campaigning efforts there.
Now, the Pack's spending strategy on platforms like
Facebook and YouTube also includes a large number of video
ads, which have proven to be more engaging for users.
And since July, 80% of America Pack's ad spend on Google has
gone to video content. Video ads tend to perform well,
particularly on platforms like YouTube, which America Pack is
heavily invested in now. This focus on video ad suggests
that Musk's team is banking on more dynamic visual content to
attract voters in these battleground states.
Now on X America, PAC's ads have mainly targeted 5 key swing
states, Georgia, Nevada, Michigan, Arizona, and
Wisconsin. Pennsylvania, however, has
become the Pack's most important target.
The 59 ads run on X from July 8th to October 1st generated
roughly 32,000,000 impressions. Despite these numbers, the
overall spend on X pales in comparison to what the Pack is
investing in Facebook and YouTube, raising questions about
Musk's strategy for his own platform and whether X is truly
as viable in AD Tool as he claims.
No, America Pack's advertising push on Facebook has been
extensive, with thousands of ads running over the 90 day stretch
between July and October. Several of these ads received
over one million impressions, although Meta's ad library does
not provide an overall aggregate of impressions for individual
advertisers. This makes it harder to directly
compare Facebook's reach with XS, though it's evident that the
scale of advertising on Facebook is significantly larger now.
In addition to online ads, Musk has thrown money at in person
voter mobilization efforts over the past week.
He announced the plan to give away about $1,000,000 per day
until the 2024 election, awarding the money to randomly
selected registered voters who Sign America PAC's petition.
This part of a broader campaign to energize pro Trump voters,
especially in Pennsylvania. Now, At recent town hall events
in the state, Musk presented giant novelty checks to winners,
amplifying his grassroots strategy.
On October 7th in Harrisburg, PA, Musk held one of these town
halls where he announced the $1,000,000 sweepstakes he
promised every day between now and the election.
We'll be awarding $1,000,000 starting tonight.
The first winner, John Draher, won the prize, is brought on a
stage to collect his $1,000,000 check, which came with a
condition. They must serve as a
spokesperson for America PAC's petition after they win the
money. Now, Dreher is a longtime Musk
fan who sported a Make America Great Again hat during the
event, and he was greeted with roaring applause as he received
his check. He expressed admiration from us,
telling him I've been following you for 10 years, got your
biography 10 years ago, and I've been watching ever since.
Dreyer's enthusiastic support highlights Musk's ability to
energize a portion of the Republican base in Pennsylvania.
This is a state critical to Trump's electoral prospects.
And on the following two days, two more Pennsylvanians were
awarded $1,000,000 checks at similar town hall events.
Christine Fishel and Shannon Tomei were selected as the other
winners of Musk's daily giveaway.
And despite these high profile awards, official Andre Hur did
not respond to requests for comment till May declined an
interview, indicating that some winners may prefer to keep a low
profile despite their newfound windfall and glory.
Now, while the sweepstakes has generated excitement among Trump
supporters, is also attracted legal scrutiny.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro suggested that
authorities should investigate whether the contest violates
state election laws. Some legal experts have labeled
the lottery as clearly illegal, raising potential legal
challenges for Musk and his pack.
The legality of the sweepstakes hinges on whether it constitutes
an illegal inducement for voting question that could spark
further investigation. The Musk's financial investment
in Pennsylvania is part of a larger effort to deliver a
Republican victory in November. The Pack has set up a war room
in Pittsburgh to coordinate its voter outreach strategy.
Musk has committed substantial resources, including millions of
dollars for mail ballot robot texts and door knocking efforts.
His focus on mail ballots is particularly notable given
Trump's past criticism of mail in voting.
However, Musk appears to be trying to turn this strategy
into a pro Republican tool now. America Pack's efforts to boost
Republican turn out also include targeting users who've expressed
interest in certain high profile figures and activities.
The targeting of users interested in figures like Kid
Rock and Joe Rogan, both of whom have large conservative
followings, shows a calculated approach to reaching voters
likely to support Trump. And by tailoring as to those
interests, America Pack can focus on engaging a receptive
audience. Now, Musk control of X has
raised eyebrows due to the pack's relatively small ad
budget on the platform. And it remains a key part of
Musk's public outreach strategy, though, as he frequently
retweets posts from America Pack and uses his personal account,
which has over 200 million followers, to promote the pack's
messaging over the small scale of paid advertising.
NX suggests that Musk is relying on his personal influence on the
platform rather than using it as a primary ad tool.
And X advertising revenue has also struggled since Musk's
acquisition of the platform in 2023, they generated just $2.5
billion in revenue, which is a sharp decline from the year
prior when it earned nearly twice that amount.
Advertising continues to make up 70 to 75% of X's revenue, but
many advertisers have pulled back.
Sending concerns over the platform's moderation policy is
in the introduction of a subscription service, Twitter
Blue. Now, Musk's decision to pour
more money into Facebook and YouTube advertising could be a
reflection of X's winning appeal to political advertisers.
Or it could just mean that Elon Musk has so much influence on
the platform that they don't really need to advertise more
than just him posting some things.
So the America Pass Pack is strategically investing millions
of dollars in platforms of the next.
Facebook and YouTube are both heavy in this.
And the pack is targeting specific voter interests in
Pennsylvania battleground state where Musk has focused the
campaigning. And the $1,000,000 giveaway has
added a new dimension to voter outreach.
Now, as the 2024 election approaches, America PAC spending
and tactics will remain a crucial part of the campaign to
secure a Trump victory. And also it's kind of
controversial too in some places.
So let me know what you think in the comments, whether you're on
Spotify or whatever platform you're on.
If ask comments, let me know what you think.
Do you think Elon Musk is doing something illegal here?
I don't know. We're going to find out later.
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