Elon Musk’s 2024 Pro-Trump Election Disinformation X Factor

The X Factor

With Election Day literally around the corner, one threat that deserves much more attention is Elon Muskhis ability – as the owner of X – to spread electoral disinformation and help Donald Trump. Musk has already used his platform to amplify baseless claims around election fraud in Pennsylvania and rebuke conspiracy theories about the “stolen” 2020 election.

Election officials across the country are already doing it all i can to counter disinformation in real time – they release false claims, share verified information and take to the airwaves to get the facts straight. But Musk made it clear that he is he is not interested in interacting with election officials or correcting incorrect statements. Stephen RicherA Republican election official in Maricopa County, Arizonashared all the efforts he and others have made — including having friends personally deliver materials to Musk — to try to stop the spread of misinformation about X. But so far, according to Richer, all attempts have failed.

Moreover, under Musk, X appears to be giving even more traction to bogus electoral claims than before. Despite Musk’s claims that X’s “fact-checking program” would be able to keep the lies in check, fake and misleading posts they are estimated to have received billion views this election cycle.

Musk’s own account has more than 200 million followers. And while many secretaries of state have worked aggressively to correct false posts, it’s virtually impossible for government officials to keep up with Musk’s multibillion-dollar disinformation mouthpiece. While Trump may be following the same playbook as in 2020, he didn’t have Musk to amplify his disinformation back then. And that alone should be cause for concern.

Three counties to watch

Here are three crucial counties I’ll be watching closely on Tuesday.

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

In 2012, Barack Obama led Lackawanna County at home to Scranton by nearly 28 points; in 2016, of Hillary Clinton the lead was reduced to less than 4 points. Joe Biden won the county by about 8 in 2020, reflecting an increase in local support. But without Scranton Joe on the ticket, the question remains: Will the county’s predominantly blue-collar Irish Catholic voters lean more Republican? If Trump comes close to Kamala HarrisThe numbers here, he’ll have reason to feel confident in Pennsylvania.

Fayette County, Georgia

Near reliably blue metro Atlanta, Fayette is one of the best indicators of growing Democratic Party enthusiasm in Georgia. Obama received more than 33% of Fayette’s vote in 2012, Clinton took 38% in 2016, and Biden reached nearly 46% in 2020. If Harris’ performance closely lines up with Biden’s, it will suggest that the machine voting participation democrats works without problems.

Wayne County, Michigan

Wayne County, with more than 140,000 Arab American residents, has one of the nation’s highest concentrations of Middle Eastern and North African voters. This may prove to be one of the most important indicators of how third-party votes affect election results.

A resource you should know: The Multilingual Election Protection Hotline

As election misinformation grows, now is the time to make sure you and your friends have reliable resources for accurate voting information. A key tool is multilingual election protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683). Staffed by trained, nonpartisan experts and attorneys, the hotline is here to help voters resolve ballot challenges and follow up on problem reports.

Remember: your vote deserves to be counted. Show up, be informed and make sure your voice is heard.

One interview I’m excited for: Comedian Billy Eichner

This Sunday we are delighted to welcome a comedian Billy Eichner to the show! Known for his unforgettable “Billy on the Street” segments, Eichner brings a sharp and fearless style to comedy that always gets people talking. In this election cycle, he plunged headfirst into politics as head of “Loud White Men for Kamala” alongside Will Ferrell. He also shared some incredible strong comments at stake in these elections. I couldn’t be more excited to dive into election coverage with him. You don’t want to miss it.