FLIP FLOP: Elon Musk makes another political reversal

FLIP FLOP: Elon Musk makes another political reversal

Just weeks after tweeting he would no longer support the Democratic party, Elon Musk is giving his support to — surprise! — a member of the Democratic party. The move contradicted previous statements that Musk made via Twitter on May 18th when he accused Democrats of being “the party of division and hate.”

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1526997132858822658?s=20&t=enTQ7H_sKu7ZZqFbbKq63A

Known to be a social media troll — his ongoing drama with Twitter being the perfect example – Musk’s political reversal should come as no surprise. With the non-partisan primary just days away, Musk has publicly endorsed Los Angeles Democratic mayoral hopeful – and fellow billionaire – Rick Caruso. He took to his favorite platform on June 3rd, just two weeks after his previous political pronouncement, to announce the news.

Billionaire businessman Rick Caruso isn’t your ordinary Democrat — if you consider him one at all.

Like Elon Musk, Rick Caruso is no stranger to flip-flopping when it comes to his political leanings. Until 2011, Caruso was a card-carrying and registered Republican. Five years later, he would re-register as a Republican. Between then and his current mayoral bid, Caruso switched to registering as an Independent in 2019 and then switched again to register as a Democrat in 2022.

Caruso made a name — and a fortune — for himself in the real estate business, but he came from an already wealthy background since his father was the founder of Dollar Rent-a-Car. Caruso has Los Angeles connections that are linked to scandal. Olivia Jade – daughter of actress Lori Laughlin – was photographed with Caruso’s daughter aboard the billionaire’s $100 million yacht after the USC college admissions scandal broke. Laughlin and her husband were both convicted and sentenced to jail time.

Caruso’s Democratic opponent, Congresswoman Karen Bass, has criticized the wannabe politician for his lack of experience in the political arena, accusing him of using his wealth, status, and reputation to attract votes. But despite Caruso’s deep pockets — he reportedly spent $9 million on ads preceding this Tuesday’s primary — the pair are in a dead heat.

According to minority-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET), Bass not only founded the Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment in response to the crack cocaine epidemic, but she was also the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Caruso is running on a platform of “law and order” and has said:

“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to make L.A. more livable. We’re going to have cleaner streets and better parks, and we’re going to have lower crime. And you’re going to be able to go for a walk and not worry about it.”

Even with all of Caruso’s money and connections, Newsweek reports that former state Assemblywoman Bass is popular with Los Angeles voters. When asked to choose between the two, voters polled by a pro-Bass PAC chose Congresswoman Bass, 48% to 39%.

The constantly attention-seeking Musk seems to be hedging his bets by throwing his weight behind a fellow businessman with ties to the Hollywood elite Musk pretends to condemn. While he may feel that, in his own words, “Executive competence is super underrated in politics – we should care about that a lot more!” — Elon Musk may be missing the mark in terms of what Los Angeles voters want in a mayor.

It seems that Angelenos seem to care more about compassion and service, as Bass remains a popular choice among the city’s diverse population – all without spending a fraction of Caruso’s cash on advertisements. Sometimes character, simply speaks for itself.

Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick

Ty Ross

News journalist for Washington Press and Occupy Democrats.