Musk jumps back into Trump’s orbit ahead of midterms

Musk jumps back into Trump’s orbit ahead of midterms

Elon Musk is jumping back into the political fray, reviving his role as a massive election spender and technology leader with a seat at the table again in Washington.

Following a brief break from President Trump’s orbit last year, Musk’s recent appearances in D.C. and influx of election cash signals his appetite for policy and politics isn’t gone yet.

Despite suggesting he could pull back political involvement, Musk’s recent election spending makes him the largest campaign donor of 2026 as he tries to give the GOP a boost ahead of the midterms.

And while he isn’t serving as Trump’s adviser anymore, he is increasingly appearing alongside the president at high-stake events and took on a new leadership role for a Pentagon project.

For my latest story, I spoke with a handful of political strategists about Musk’s recent presence in Washington, and how the tech mogul is redefining his role in Trump’s orbit.

“Nothing brings people together like a common enemy and it’s election season,” one Republican strategist told me.

Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter , we’re Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:

Saudi national arrested after allegedly hiding recording device in OpenAI office

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News we’ve flagged from t he intersection of tech and other topics:

Character.AI files for bankruptcy, to sell some assets to Disney for $20 million ( Reuters )

Anthropic warns AI models could soon copy themselves across home devices ( CNBC )

Branch out with other reads on The Hill:

Kroger laying off 3,000 corporate employees over 3 years amid increased AI use

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