{"text":[[{"start":10.08,"text":"The fundraising groups of Donald Trump and Elon Musk have boosted spending on US House and Senate races by millions of dollars less than two months before election day."}],[{"start":118.34,"text":"Maga Inc, the pro-Trump Super Pac, spent $10mn on ads benefiting Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico, while Musk’s America Pac dropped $3.7mn this week to boost Republicans across the country."}],[{"start":118.84,"text":"Maga Inc’s first significant expenditure this year comes as Republicans have questioned for months whether the Super Pac will spend its $400mn war chest or save it for future elections or Trump’s own interests."}],[{"start":119.34,"text":"This week, John Thune, the party’s leader in the Senate, and other Republicans called for Maga Inc to spend its cash to help protect the party’s control of Congress. Thune said on Fox that some funds should be spent in Texas, an expensive ad market where Trump chose the scandal-ridden Paxton over incumbent John Cornyn."}],[{"start":119.84,"text":"Musk’s intervention comes just 14 months after the SpaceX and Tesla boss threatened to establish a third party to take on Republicans following a public falling out with Trump over a massive tax and spending bill."}],[{"start":120.34,"text":"Musk, whose companies have billions of dollars of contracts with the US government, has since reconciled with the US president and remains close to key figures in his Maga movement."}],[{"start":120.84,"text":"Since September 1, Musk’s Super Pac bought texts as well as digital and print adverts targeting Senate races in Michigan, Alaska, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Maine and New Hampshire and at least a dozen of the most competitive US House races, according to new Federal Election Commission filings."}],[{"start":113.84,"text":"Musk had given about $50mn to America Pac, mostly last year, and the Super Pac spent almost all of it by the end of June."}],[{"start":121.92,"text":"But America Pac has raised millions more since then and US media have reported that Musk may spend $100mn on the 2026 midterms."}],[{"start":131.12,"text":"Musk was not a significant player in US politics until the 2024 election, when he rallied on behalf of Trump and helped America Pac raise over $260mn. He claimed the election was pivotal in his effort to get humans to Mars."}],[{"start":145.96,"text":"Musk went on to lead the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and pledged to cut $2tn from the federal budget. He spearheaded the dismantling of US foreign aid programmes and slashed staff at various agencies, but many of those moves have been reversed and Doge failed to meaningfully reduce government spending."}],[{"start":165.04,"text":"The billionaire fell out with Trump last June over what he called a “massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill” that the president supported. He indicated at the time that he would no longer spend large sums on politics, but has since recanted."}],[{"start":180.16,"text":"Musk’s political spending since the 2024 election has until now been relatively modest, even though he gave $20mn combined to the two main Republican Super Pacs in House and Senate races."}],[{"start":193.68,"text":"Some of his preferred candidates this election cycle have lost. Last year, he ploughed $23mn into backing a conservative for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, only for his preferred candidate to lose by 10 percentage points. He gave $10mn to a Super Pac supporting Nate Morris for Senate in Kentucky, but the candidate dropped out."}],[{"start":214.52,"text":"Musk had previously donated small amounts to Republicans and Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama."}],[{"start":221.64,"text":"“The president’s political team and the rest of the GOP apparatus have built a top-notch operation that will put Republicans in a strong position to buck history and retain control of Congress this fall,” said Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for America Pac, in a recent statement."}],[{"start":237.96,"text":"“We’re excited to again to be part of the team.”"}],[{"start":246.08,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1788748988_5679.mp3"}