NEWS AND OPINION:
Billionaire Elon Musk is winning applause for his steadfast support of former President Donald Trump and his quest to return to the White House.
“Unlike most celebrity endorsements which end with a few supportive words on social media and perhaps some appearances on friendly cable news networks, Musk has devoted significant time and energy to making the case for Trump directly to voters,” writes Ohio-based political consultant Shane Harris, in an essay for the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC).
“In addition to investing a reported $75 million to elect Trump through his America PAC, Musk has on a daily basis shared pro-Trump messaging to his 202 million followers on X, which he owns, and has even sparred with liberal media pundits about why a Kamala Harris presidency would be so disastrous for the country,” Mr. Harris wrote.
“During a time when high-profile individuals like Musk invite vilification in the media and ostracization from their peers for breaking with Democrat Party orthodoxy, Musk’s personal courage in strongly backing Trump also should not be ignored,” he later noted.
The aforementioned AMAC, meanwhile, works to “protect and defend the sanctity of our Constitution and fidelity to our Nation’s Founders,” according to its mission statement.
“We are unabashed in our fight to protect freedom of the individual, free speech and exercise of religion, equality of opportunity, sanctity of life, rule of law, and love of family,” said the organization, found at amac.us
ALSO ABOUT MUSK
“Elon Musk took control of Twitter two years ago. Much has happened since then. Many, many things. One change is how the public feels about the social media platform since its transition to X,” reports Adweek, an industry source, in a brief analysis released Tuesday.
“Data from business intelligence firm Morning Consult shows that while 26% of Republicans said they trust X to do what is right back in January 2022, that number is up to 40% today. Trust among Democrats, meanwhile, has declined from 41% to 31% during the same time period,” the analysis said.
VOTERS OF A CERTAIN AGE
AARP Nevada has released its second 2024 statewide election survey that shows candidates for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, and state races should pay close attention to Nevadans ages 50 and older, who make up an outsized portion of the electorate.
The organization reports that 89% of voters ages 50 and older say they are “extremely motivated” to cast a ballot in November, a four-percentage point increase since AARP Nevada’s first poll, released in June.
In addition, former President Donald Trump leads Vice President Kamala Harris by one percentage point, 47%-46%, among voters overall, with 1% of voters supporting a third-party candidate and 2% undecided.
NEVADA IN THE BALANCE
The campaigning in Nevada continues, and the Trump campaign is making its closing argument to residents of the Silver State.
“President Donald Trump has always fought for policies that support our hard-working Americans who have been crushed under Kamalanomics. In June, President Trump unveiled his ’No Tax On Tips’ proposal to boost the service industry workforce and provide meaningful financial relief. As many as 5.5 million workers rely on tips to offset their ability to earn the prevailing minimum wage,” the Trump campaign said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.
“Women make up more than two-thirds of the tipped workforce — of which nearly a third are parents of kids under the age of 18. President Trump will fight to reverse the financial pressures placed on American workers, starting with eliminating taxes on tips and letting our service industry workers keep more of their hard-earned paychecks,” the statement said.
“There is no doubt that Nevadans cannot afford another four years of Kamala Harris’ failed policies. Since Kamala Harris took office, Nevada’s cumulative inflation is at 22.1% – forcing families to spend an additional $1,195 a month. Under Harris’ radical spending agenda, Nevadans have spent $5,858 more on energy and $7,200 more on shelter. President Trump has an economic plan to Make America Affordable Again, starting with No Tax on Tips,” the campaign noted.
ALSO ABOUT NEVADA
“Nevada is a critical swing state whose six electoral votes could determine who wins the presidency. It is also a bellwether state that has voted for the candidate that becomes president in all but two elections since 1912, Gerald Ford in 1976 and Hillary Clinton in 2016,” advises the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“Last weekend, Nevada saw visits from former President Barack Obama and Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz in Southern Nevada and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in Northern Nevada,” the newspaper said in a report Tuesday.
“This week, political events will continue with … GOP vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance will hold a rally at Treasure Island on Wednesday, and First Lady Jill Biden will also be in town campaigning for the Harris-Walz ticket,” the report noted.
But wait, there’s more.
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump will participate in a rally with other political figures including Vivek Ramaswamy and Tulsi Gabbard at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center, where Democratic nominee Kamala Harris also has held a rally.
Mr. Trump’s rally on Thursday will mark his seventh trip to Nevada this year, and Ms. Harris has been here nine times since the start of the year, the Review-Journal advised.
POLL DU JOUR
• 41% of U.S. adults say they would most prefer to live in a detached home in the suburbs.
• 23% would most prefer to live in a detached home in a rural area.
• 12% would most prefer to live in a detached home in a city.
• 12% would most prefer to live in a townhouse, apartment or condominium in the city.
• 6% would most prefer to live in a townhouse, apartment or condominium in the suburbs.
• 2% would most prefer some other living arrangement.
• 4% don’t know where they should live.
SOURCE: An Ipsos Consumer poll of 1,085 U.S. adults conducted online Oct. 15-16. Respondents were given home descriptions from which to choose.
• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.