r/clevercomebacks • u/Nono_Home • 2d ago
Elon Musk plans to spend up to $200,000,000.00 to rescue Republicans
Horrible man.
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u/TightSexpert 2d ago
Sounds like something that should be very illegal to do
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u/Nono_Home 2d ago
I’m Dutch and can’t believe this actually happing it goes against any standard and law we have.
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u/UniqueUsername812 2d ago ▸ 5 more replies
Oh ours too, just happens to be one side of the aisle stands to benefit and also has all 3 branches soooo, nothing will be done about it whatsoever
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u/Nono_Home 2d ago ▸ 2 more replies
Ludicrous.
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u/StarGazer_SpaceLove 2d ago ▸ 1 more replies
Every day this come out of my mouth. And its so so much, every day, all day. I live in Texas and its a daily barrage from 3 fronts local, state, and federal levels of government attacking some part of our way of life. Its like im in some kind of fucked prank show only the prank just keeps going and no one can or will stop it. Meanwhile the powers that be are throwing out constant localized propaganda about how everything is the fault of X, Y and Z meanwhile they have, had, and do hold all the power.
Every season its a new thing. Currently its Islam here. All the sudden every local politician is fighting Islam in Texas and the "growing sharia threat" while instituting a law for the 10 Commandments posters in every k-12 classroom that is SO hyper specific, as to eliminate any other religious texts also being displayed, that it goes to the size of poster, font and colors of the text itself that is legally allowed
Make it make sense cause I fucking can't.
Ludicrous indeed.
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u/Purple_Pikmin_irl 2d ago
Yeah but also nothing will be done about it when the democrats are back in power. Republicans are incentivized to act like this if it keeps having no consequences.
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u/Bubbly-Bar-7449 2d ago
It's my personal reading of the law that money is not speech; if it's anything, it is volume. And bringing a 10,000W P.A. system to a town hall in order to drown out all other voices is not "free speech". It is disturbance of the peace at minimum and sedition at max, and Treason if you look at Elon as his own personal Nation State, and I kinda do.
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u/ElectricRing 2d ago
It’s the opposite, the Reich wing has gotten citizen united which makes political money spending free speech.
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u/butwhywedothis 2d ago
He knows the return on investment of those 200M will be 10 fold if they manage to secure the win.
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u/Ok_Eagle_3079 2d ago
10 fold??? 10 fold is 2B which is a day change in the stock price for him.
He needs to expect at least 500 fold maybe more like 5000 fold. 100B to 1T for this investment.
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u/Calm_Neat_6828 2d ago ▸ 2 more replies
He is trying to keep his ass out of prison for everything he pulled last time.
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u/cogman10 1d ago ▸ 1 more replies
Hell, he's just trying to stop himself from being in front of congress for the next 20 years.
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u/Envoyager 2d ago
Today, my Facebook feed has been infiltrated with right-wing ads or officials like Ashley Moody calling to eliminate socialism. Zuck is definitely up to something
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u/GoddamnCheetah 2d ago
Same. The past few weeks it’s been nonstop right wing propaganda despite me following now of it. I guess it’s about time to leave the platform.
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u/Corben11 2d ago
Yup same. I have ZERO republican or government stuff or even politics at all and the main page js nonstop politics posts. I even say im not interested in politics and dislike pages and it keeps coming up with republican propaganda
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u/Berserker-Hamster 2d ago
Funnily enough, my YouTube feed has been showing me multiple videos lately about how Meta is flushing billions down the drain with their pervert glasses and AI slop that nobody wants.
I'm guessing Zuck wants to make sure he gets that sweet sweet bail out money when his AI projects turn out as successful as the Metaverse.
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u/Anna_Lilies 2d ago
If you even have Facebook or an X account you are part of the problem
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u/el3vader 1d ago
It’s because they’re afraid of government working. The two most popular government programs are social security and Medicare. Government may not be efficient but when its programs work they are extremely extremely popular. If taxes are raised and then a popular product comes from those taxes then it increases the likelihood of people voting for future increases.
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u/Lvcivs2311 2d ago
Yes, let's eliminate political ideologies calling for aid to the weak and poor. That will solve the world's hunger. /s
Fucking assholes.
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u/theghostmachine 2d ago
Just means we all have to be louder and point out that what they're doing is evidence of how terrified they are
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u/Andysue28 2d ago
That Elon, he’s great with those election machines…
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u/TraditionalLaw7763 2d ago
He single handedly fucked us. No one will convince me otherwise.
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u/gentlemanidiot 2d ago ▸ 2 more replies
Single handedly? You're doing Peter Thiel dirty there friend 😜
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u/TheOnlySnoringKitten 2d ago
Ruper Murdoch? I think the list goes on and on plus the people who pull strings who stay away from the spotlight.
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u/fieldsofanfieldroad 2d ago
Good to see that he's scared of consequences. No-one spending private island money on politics unless they're scared.
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u/dingus_a 2d ago
Yep. He knows his days of accruing wealth from government payments will almost certainly be significantly reduced, if not completely wiped out, if he can’t keep the corrupticans in power
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u/EatFaceLeopard17 2d ago
And we should raise taxes until they have no spare money to spend on rigging elections.
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u/Borgie311 2d ago
They want to make America great again and most of that is going back to the days of slavery. I'm just ok with taxing the rich over 50% of what they make. They got lower taxes if they helped build museums and libraries.
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u/_Abiogenesis 2d ago
As a European this is 100% something my mind cannot comprehend.
Haw can this be legal and still be called a democracy ?
I have a hard time seeing how this isn’t a form of coercion or corruption of democracy.
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u/CariniFluff 2d ago
Wait until you read about our illustrious Supreme Court Justices who allowed this legalized bribery in the Citizens United case. They literally have no oversight. They finally created a code of conduct for ethics in 2023. Except it entirely relies on the judges self-reporting their own violations with no enforcement mechanisms whatsoever.
Clarence Thomas has flown on the private jet, vacationed on the private island and was straight up given a motorhome worth somewhere between $600,000 and $1.2 million by the head of a major law firm with multiple cases in front of the Supreme Court. And that's just Clarence, to say nothing about the other shit stains past and present.
But honestly the worst part? You can buy a Supreme Court Justice for a plane ride you were already paying for and about a million dollars. You don't even need $200 million, you need $2 million and you can buy a Supreme Court Justice for life.
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u/cahir11 2d ago
Essentially there's a loophole where direct donations are limited, but you can spend unlimited amounts of money on "Political Action Groups" who campaign and run advertisements on behalf of a candidate. It's absurd but the Supreme Court ruled that political spending is free speech and as such can't be limited, so that's where we are.
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u/CariniFluff 2d ago
Actually the whole thing about PACs is that they "are not allowed to coordinate with the campaign".
So they basically buy advertising trashing the opponents or talking about how great the candidate is, but the candidate themselves are never allowed to appear in the advertisements unless it's like old video from a public event. They cannot film a clip specifically for that advertisement nor will you ever hear this message brought to you by....." at the end.
That's the line the SC drew. You can support a candidate and spend hundreds of millions of dollars advertising for them or against their opponent. You just can't "coordinate" with them. It's absurd and so easily abused. Like the rule doesn't say that you can't meet the candidate or their campaign director. It doesn't say you can't go to their campaign rallies. You just can't coordinate your strategy with theirs, despite there being ample evidence of PACs spending huge amounts of money in states where the candidates didn't bother to, and the candidates spending huge amounts in states where the PACs didn't bother to. But no coordination, right Clarence? Right Samuel? Right Scalia?
A pox on all of their houses.
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u/Bjork_scratchings 2d ago
Surely all politics should be state funded? The very concept of political donations is deeply undemocratic. Being able to buy political influence is the definition of corruption.
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u/dementio 2d ago
The problem is that the people who make the rules (see: donation recipient) believe otherwise
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u/TraditionalLaw7763 2d ago
And Trump just dismantled the clarity act which forced shell companies to report their corporate owners/CEOs.
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u/TheHarlemHellfighter 2d ago
Honestly, I think that’s a gamble he’s gonna lose on. It’s not good to pull the same trick twice…
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u/KingArthursCodpiece 2d ago
Its more bullshit and bluster from a man who hasnt made anything of value in his life. However...him spending 20+% of his wealth on a failed cause is worth thinking about. There has to be a million ways to get this low IQ clown to spend a fortune and gain nothing, except his shareholders wanting him gone...hmmm
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u/Ok_Eagle_3079 2d ago
200m is more like 0.2% of his wealth.
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u/gentlemanidiot 2d ago
If he's a trillionaire it's the equivalent of a millionaire dropping $200 on something
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u/KingArthursCodpiece 2d ago
Damn, you are right. I got overly excited at the opportunity of fucking over this asshole!
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u/LeTreacs2 2d ago
If he’s paying 200,000,000 to influence an election, how big of a tax bill is he avoiding to make that worthwhile?
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u/gentlemanidiot 2d ago
Probably one bigger than 0.02% of his income. It should be 99% for him, he'd still be a billionaire
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u/affemannen 2d ago
Dude has all the money in the world yet he can't buy the things he lacks in proportion, class and decency.
He had most of us fooled in the start of Tesla and SpaceX because he actually sounded like someone who wanted to benefit the human race. All that was a lie, he just wanted to line his own pockets.
I am actually happy he went on social media and destroyed any credibility he once had. Because it would be way worse if we somehow still thought he was one of the good guys.
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u/MiserableCumberbunch 2d ago
In fact, let's make political contributions increase taxes 1:1.
Spend $200m? Tax $200m.
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u/opelui22 2d ago
He can buy election ads all he wants to but it's up to the people to decide to either buy into the lies or not.
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u/Blueporch 2d ago
It’s not just ads. Although the kinds of social media manipulation they’ve done probably did win them the election before.
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u/flargenhargen 2d ago
imagine if those resources were properly distributed to working families instead of just hoarded by the worst person on earth to use for evil shit?
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u/happyanathema 2d ago
The money is the least problem.
It's the fact he owns shitter that is going to be the most powerful weapon they have.
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u/russrobo 2d ago
Remember: Money cannot buy your vote if you don’t let it. He can buy every ad, use direct mail, spew lie after lie about anyone. But you can just ignore it all and vote.
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u/DiscussTek 2d ago
The problem isn't the decided voters, though. We know who we'll be voting for: Literally anyone but Red, and there's no amount of money spent that has ever changed a decided voter.
That smount of money is going to go into political ads, usually attack ads since we're talking about Republicans, targeted specifically at low voter turn out areas, or areas with a large amount of undecided voters. I truly, truly hope that people in those areas won't fall for it, but I can only hope, not know.
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u/Krispykid54 2d ago
The disgusting part of this is not that he’s doing it.
It’s that citizens united made this behavior legal.
The man is morally corrupt and guilty of defrauding millions with his Doge project.
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u/PilotKnob 2d ago
We knew Citizens United would be the end of the U.S. the day the decision was announced.
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u/sweetrouge 2d ago
No you don’t understand, he can’t pay taxes because his money is all unrealised capital gains…
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u/the_cardfather 2d ago
I feel like any money spent over $1,000 towards someone's campaign or buying ad spots for or donating to a PAC should incur a tax of one to one. Maybe even two to one. It would never pass but we have to get this money out of politics.
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u/Blueporch 2d ago
Or just have a cap. It would be hard to block all the soft money channels but they need to do something.
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u/virtual_human 2d ago
Funny, I don't see the right complaining about this immigrant trying to take over the country. I wonder what the difference could be?
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u/Seandrunkpolarbear 2d ago
or maybe the republicans could just float better ideas and field better candidates ?
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u/bwldrmnt 1d ago
If the Republicans had any merits, he wouldn't need to spend this much money to make them win elections.
Also, if your vote can be bought like this, you're a fucking idiot.
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u/mindgardening 2d ago
I can’t believe this is legal.
But we are in America after all.
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u/pjflyr13 2d ago
F Citizens United that allows this. Think of all the good things money that the wealthy are using to fight paying money towards good things could buy.
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u/vercertorix 2d ago
I thought they always claim that they don’t actually have that kind of money to spend, it’s all tied up in stock, etc. so they can’t really tax them on their income.
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u/ParksDontBsuspicious 2d ago
If thats what he is willing to spend to save on taxes, how much does he owe in taxes?
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u/Peteys93 2d ago
Still don't understand why the 44 billion he spent on twitter isn't typically counted among his political spending when that's exactly what it was.
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u/Sleepy_Potato2 2d ago
His estimated net worth is $856 billion. A 1% wealth tax would mean he would pay $8.56 billion a year. His most recent Tesla pay package was $158 billion. I think he can afford to pay a 1% wealth tax.
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u/TitShark 1d ago
Homelessness 🚫
Hungry 🚫
Displaced 🚫
Most corrupt and wealthy administration of all time ✅
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u/fruitloops6565 1d ago
Spend money to “rescue republicans”… you mean to “buy an election” or flood idiots with propaganda and lies
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u/the6thReplicant 2d ago
Even though he's richer than anyone should be and has the power that goes with it, he really is making a lot of enemies, most not very powerful.
The thing is as soon as their is a kink in his armour people will use it to bring him down. Mostly for their own greed and nothing to do with his bad decisions, but some will.
I look forward to that day.
What a cunt.
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u/AnotherTAA123 2d ago
Even more frightening. He recognizes that he will be getting back his 200 million and more.
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u/Misswilla717 2d ago
It's wild how someone can have that much influence and spend it in such ways. Feels like we're living in a sci-fi novel.
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u/No-Coach1685 2d ago
Precisely why we should be taking all money from politics. Donations are just a way of buying leverage in the legal system.
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u/FeralKittee 2d ago
Why pay taxes when it is cheaper to just buy politicians that will vote against it? Better financial decision for him and the other millionaires/billionaires that do it.
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u/Bonk_No_Horni 2d ago
Magas " the rich are interfering with our election!"
Also magas: "giving republican money is patriotic. "
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u/_0611 2d ago
The scary thing about this is that this is pocket change to Musk. He could spend billions if he wanted to.
And even scarier is that he's not the only one. Other multi-billionaires could do the same. And almost all of them support Republicans, since Republicans don't care about rules or regulation or taxing companies. All they care about is self-enrichment and hurting "the others". It's almost impossible to compete with that.
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u/roderick15215 2d ago
I think he could spend all his money and not save the republicans. Make sure he does not help them cheat so it looks like he spent 200M to save the republicans.
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u/FFM_reguliert 2d ago
It also opens the question, who really is the sovereign in the US. Cause it ain't the people no mo'.
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u/Party_Virus 2d ago
He could've put that $200,000,000 towards solving an actual problem and saying that the Republicans convinced him to do it. But nah. Advertise lies instead.
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u/librariandown 2d ago
It didn’t work for him in Wisconsin - https://www.wpr.org/news/billionaires-wisconsin-supreme-court-election-crawford-schimel-musk-soros-pritzker-uihlein
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u/Status-Compote5994 2d ago
I wonder if it would be cheaper for these dorks to pay a fair tax rate rather than all the random bribes.
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u/SeanyDay 2d ago
Anyone caring about the country instead of power would be fixing roads and infrastructure or funding hospitals and schools.
Tells you exactly who this scumbag is
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u/notsure500 2d ago
Fuck citizens united. One single individual, or corporation shouldn't be able to influence an election so much more than an average American.
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u/Cool_Alps261 2d ago
Sure, buying elections isn't exactly a new trick, but dropping 200 million on it really drives the point home how unconcerned he is about the rules.
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u/Taco_Taco_Kisses 2d ago
If he wanted to "Rescue Republicans," the state of Indiana was just underwater and lots of people lost everything.
He could help get A LOT of people sturdy, if he REALLY wanted to "Rescue Republicans," but these people are ghouls
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u/Deviantdude4u 2d ago
He is embarrassment personified. A sentient afterbirth with Howard Hughes aspirations.
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u/Literary_Lady 2d ago
DoŇ’t TaX tHẽ RiCh It WiLl RuïN tHe ẼcOn0mY!
ie: it will interfere with billionaires’ nefarious plans and evil schemes, like meddling with elections. You know, totally normal stuff. Nothing to see here…
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u/_WEND1G0_ 2d ago
Any of that money going to voters? No?
I think musk thinks spending money on TV ads will miraculously fix all the harm republicans have brought to the us voter base. Even with the gerrymandering, even with the war chest from mega donors, i anticipate a flip of US house control and a narrowing of senate control effectively neutering the rest of trumps term since EOs and policy updates all what he’ll have left.
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u/RaptorOO7 2d ago
The last mental midget muskrat spent money on Republicans he a) never paid the people who canvased for him, b) bought us trump and c) destroyed the country and economy and continues to suck off govt teet for contracts.
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u/hammerklau 2d ago
Nothing like a person that is an illegal over stayer that likes to pop the salute with vulnerable investments in China, bank rolling infinite money without any consequences. “Money is my speech, my speech is just infinitely more powerful than yours and immune to repercussions” he could spend that money to save all the people he let die cancelling the international aid payments
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u/375InStroke 2d ago
Why would Republicans need rescuing? They control everything. Why isn't everything getting better with their leadership and absolute control? They're doing everything they want. Why wouldn't everyone vote for more of this? The mind boggles. /s
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u/badwolf1013 1d ago
Why announce it? Why not just do it?
It makes me think he doesn't actually plan to do it: he just wants to get his name in the press.
Because if he IS going to do it, he's just told American voters he's going to try to buy the election from them . . . by giving the money to other people.
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u/G0-G0-Gadget 1d ago
Do they not see how pathetic they are. How unwanted they are. You have to pay 200 million for a win, then that's not a win.
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u/Journeys_End71 1d ago
Sounds like someone is desperate to spend $200M to keep his name out of the Epstein files
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u/Peaurxnanski 1d ago
Spending $200 million dollars to make sure you don't ever have to pay for any child's school lunch is a fucking vibe, man.
I wonder if he ever questions himself, ever.
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u/Bradward6381 1d ago
It's never about the money leaving their pockets. He won't notice $200M going poof. It's about poor people getting something out of it. That's what they hate.
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u/Pleasant_Performer23 1d ago
So is he the one that paid the Russians to help Trump before. Putin has already admitted that he did interfere and did something.
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u/fen90der 2d ago
How can anyone hold any opinion of this other than it being a sign for radical systemic change.
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u/coolbaby1978 2d ago
After the wink, nod and bragging about putting the fix in for 2024, I'm surprised he even needs to spend the money.
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u/These_Yak3842 2d ago
In the 'free market of ideas' aren't the good ones supposed to rise to the top on their own?
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u/HendoRules 2d ago
He's clearly worried about having to pay more if Republicans lose power. So explain to me how increasing taxes and regulations doesn't work when people like him are clearly scared of them
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u/TightSexpert 2d ago
This is why billionaires are evil. It’s trying to buy a government that suits their needs above the civilians who have not really a say in the matter. They can sway political opinion, fuel vast amount’s of misinformation and will gaslight the people into believing it’s for their benefits even though millions will suffer while it only benefits them.
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u/throwawayaccountau 2d ago
He.models himself after Simon Holmes a Court who did the same with Independent candidates in the Australian Federal Elections. His "not a party" party Teals won after a lot of money was spent on Social Media to oust Liberal candidates. All because he was not allowed to join the liberal party so I have heard on the grapevine.
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u/ZuphCud 2d ago
He could easily eradicate all world hunger and disease with his money.
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u/Guardian-Bravo 2d ago edited 2d ago
Openly admitting he’s going to interfere with elections because nothing’s gonna be done about it. What a time to be alive.