Donald Trump met with billionaire Elon Musk in Palm Beach, Florida, over the weekend as the former president seeks to close a fundraising gap with Joe Biden, The New York Times reported. The meeting, which also included a number of wealthy Republican donors, comes as Trump’s campaign coffers lag behind those of the incumbent president.
According to the Times, the meeting took place on Sunday and Trump hopes to hold a one-on-one discussion with Musk soon. Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has not publicly committed to backing Trump financially. Neither Musk nor Trump’s campaign immediately responded to requests for comment.
Trump, whose personal fortune has been dented by recent legal judgments, is aiming to line up additional major contributors. Musk, with a net worth estimated at $200bn by Forbes, could single-handedly offset Biden’s financial advantage in the general election.
Musk has criticised Biden and suggested on social media that defeating him in November is a priority. Although he voted for Biden in 2020, Musk has since clashed with the administration, including over a tweet labelled “abhorrent” by the White House last November. The South African-born entrepreneur has also stated he would not vote for Biden again.
Financial disclosures show Trump’s campaign had just over $30m in cash at the end of January, down from $33m a month earlier. Biden’s campaign reported $56m, up from $46m in December, reflecting his less contested primary path. The wealthy donors present at the meeting are seen as crucial to narrowing this gap.
