Elon Musk tells Republicans they must be ‘compassionate’ to immigrants and ‘stay out of bedrooms’
Elon Musk has warned Republicans to ‘stay out of people’s bedrooms’ and be more supportive of migrants if they want to be electorally successful.
The 51-year-old billionaire was speaking on Tuesday night at a gathering of Republican donors, hosted by John Nau – chairman and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation.
Musk was invited by Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, whose constituency encompasses the Bakersfield, California location of SpaceX.
Musk and McCarthy held what was billed as ‘a fireside chat’ for the audience.
The entrepreneur tweeted before the dinner: ‘To be clear, I support the left half of the Republican Party and the right half of the Democratic Party!’
Elon Musk is pictured on Tuesday night at the Jackson, Wyoming event with former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus
Texas Republican Tony Gonzalez also tweeted a photo of him shaking hands on Tuesday evening with Musk
Musk told attendees that the Democrat key to success was to stay ‘out of people’s wallets,’ according to attendees who spoke to Axios.
Asked what the Republicans should do to win over voters, Musk, who was born in South Africa, said they should be more welcoming to immigrants, who he said were vital for a dynamic economy.
Musk told the gathering that he himself chose America because of the opportunities.
Morgan Ortagus, former spokesman for the State Department during the Trump administration, tweeted a photo of herself with a plaid-clad Musk.
Tony Gonzalez, a Texas congressman whose district includes Uvalde, also shared a photo of him shaking hands with Musk, captioned: ‘We should be actively inspiring great things.’
The event coincided with the Wyoming primary election, which saw Liz Cheney lose her House seat to Harriet Hageman.
Kevin McCarthy, seen on August 12, invited Musk to speak at the gathering on Tuesday
John Nau, the host of Tuesday’s event, is seen in 2008 with then-first lady Laura Bush. George W. Bush made Nau, a fellow Texan, the chair of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
Nau, who lives for most of the year in Texas with his wife Bobbie, has regularly hosted Republican donor events in Jackson, including one in August 2019 attended by Jared Kushner.
Musk has donated to both parties and has previously said he has voted for Democrats.
Earlier this year, he announced that he voted for a Republican candidate for the first time ever – casting a ballot for Mayra Flores who claimed victory in the special election for Texas’ 34th Congressional District.
He has also expressed support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as a possible presidential contender, and said he would not back Donald Trump returning to the White House.
Trump, in turn, wrote Musk off as ‘another bulls*** artist.’
