Elon Musk, whose “world’s richest man” status relies heavily on money his companies get from U.S. taxpayers, is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to try to keep Republicans in control of Congress. He has spent more than $275 million in just the past few months, on top of the more than $100 million or so he had already spent this election cycle.

I sure would like to see more reporters asking Republican candidates to disavow Musk for promoting racist and inflammatory rhetoric; or for turning X into a platform that empowers neo-Nazis and white supremacists; or for amplifying anti-immigrant rhetoric to a point that led to mob violence; or for pushing, in the words of The Nation’s Jeet Heer, “global neo-Nazi regime change.”Why is Musk exempt from the kind of scrutiny devoted to social media influencers who have far less influence on our culture and political system?

Earlier this year, the Guardian reported that many of Musk’s X posts were “indiscernible from those of white supremacists.”For example, Musk reposted a claim that “white genocide is the official Democrat party platform.”This spring, the Washington Post quoted a commentator noting that Musk’s “near daily” posting about race left “no doubt he’s a white nationalist.”

Musk has repeatedly endorsed the idea of “remigration” — the idea that non-white immigrants should be forced to leave the U.S. and European countries. He promoted the movie “Citizen Vigilante,” and the idea that violence should be waged against “first the traitors, then the invaders.”And he has called anyone who opposes remigration a “traitor.”

When a journalist told him it was irresponsible to promote a movie that “glorifies the murdering of a Muslim immigrant family,” Musk insisted that it is “worth watching.”As New York Times writer Jamelle Bouie has asked, “Why do we tolerate Elon Musk’s racist commentary?”And why are we letting Republicans get away with relying on Musk’s millions to save their seats without demanding some accountability for their partnership?

It’s easy to understand why Republicans themselves are silent in the face of Musk’s extremism. It’s not just because they’re depending on Daddy Warbucks to save their skins from a voter revolt. And it’s not just because they don’t want to anger Trump while the president is honoring Musk and putting more of our national security infrastructure in his hands.

The disturbing but undeniable truth is that most Republican officials in the age of Trump have either fully embraced or chosen to tolerate the kind of inflammatory race-baiting and anti-immigrant rhetoric Musk and Trump spew to their millions of social media followers.

Republicans cheered as Musk gleefully fed the U.S. Agency for International Development into the woodchipper and made life more miserable for millions of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, potentially leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths.

Republicans’ reaction to Musk is akin to their largely going silent about the epic, historically unprecedented levels of corruption that have seen Trump’s personal and family wealth skyrocket through billions in shady self-enriching deals.

Speaking of self-enrichment, the over quarter of a billion dollars Musk spent in the 2024 elections to put Trump back in power turned out to be a fantastic investment for his own pocketbook. Investors’ anticipation of the billions in no-bid contracts that would come his way was enough to boost Musk’s wealth by $50 billion in the week after the election. His net worth had grown by 69 percent before Trump even took office. Since then, both of them have seen their wealth soar.

And the Department of Justice dropped ongoing investigations into Musk’s companies. Just a little thank you.

No objections from congressional Republicans. They have gone along for the ride as the Justice Department has been turned into a vehicle for Trump’s revenge fantasies. Its Civil Rights Division has abandoned its historic mission and embraced the right-wing fiction that white Christian men are the most persecuted people in our country.

Meanwhile, Christians who do experience real persecution in many parts of the world are denied the opportunity to find refuge in the U.S., because just about the only people the Trump administration is willing to accept as refugees are white South Africans. It is a policy that reflects South African native Musk’s influence and widely disputed claims of “white genocide.”In short, Musk is MAGA at its worst. At a time when voters are souring on the corruption and cruelty of Trumpism, Republican candidates should be held accountable for their silence.

Svante Myrick is president of People For the American Way.