Elon Musk is Offering $100 Checks Again. Here’s Who Qualifies

Elon Musk is offering Wisconsin voters $100 to sign a petition opposing so-called “activist judges” who have ruled against the Trump administration, reviving one of the billionaire’s most controversial strategies from the 2024 presidential election.

Last year, the Tesla CEO’s America political action committee (PAC) promised to award $1 million each day to one lucky swing state voter selected by the group who had signed a pro-Trump petition, in a move that experts condemned as illegal or coming close to it.

Why It Matters

The Tesla CEO’s cash offer to Wisconsin voters comes after Musk and President Donald Trump called for the impeachment of a federal judge who questioned the administration’s deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to a controversial prison in El Salvador.

In a rare show of opposition, the calls to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg were formally rebuked by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who said that for “more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision.”

However, neither Trump nor Musk appear willing to back down in their criticism of judges opposing the administration’s actions. The battle between the executive and the judiciary is heading towards a constitutional crisis.

What To Know

It is not a coincidence that Musk’s cash offer is being handed out to voters in Wisconsin, a state where a key election for a crucial seat on the state’s Supreme Court will be held on April 1.

The new judge will determine whether the Wisconsin Supreme Court will ideologically sit on the political right or the left in the swing state that was courted by both Trump and Kamala Harris last year, but which ultimately voted for the Republican candidate.

Two political groups backed by Musk—America PAC and Building America’s Future—are spending nearly $20 million to support the candidacy of Brad Schimel, a judge in Waukesha County and former GOP attorney general who is now the Republican nominee for the state Supreme Court’s available seat.

The Democratic candidate is Dane County judge Susan Crawford, who has received millions in donations from donors such as George Soros and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Axios reported that roughly $30 million has already been spent on the race.

Musk’s America’s PAC will give $100 to each Wisconsin registered voter signing the petition and another $100 for every signer they refer. While the billionaire’s political group won’t know for sure whether a Wisconsin voter who signed the petition will then go on to vote in the April 1 election, the political group will have their contact details.

Doubling Down

This latest cash pledge from Musk is a sign that he is not thinking of cutting back his involvement with the Trump mission, despite apparent damage to his Tesla brand both on the markets and on the streets, following vandalism to the cars his company produces.

With an estimated net worth of $327.5 billion, Musk is currently the richest man in the world, as well as a “special government employee” within the Trump administration. The billionaire has thrown his considerable wealth behind the president’s election and, now, his priorities.

During the 2024 presidential race, Musk’s America PAC spent more than $250 million in support of Trump’s candidacy, raising questions about possible conflicts of interest. He recently said he plans to donate $100 million more to Trump’s political operation.

The billionaire’s outsized role and authority within the Trump administration, especially his leadership of the advisory Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has been tapped by the president with shrinking the size of the federal government, have also sparked outrage among experts, voters and political opponents.

What People Are Saying

The petition which Musk is now supporting says: “Judges should interpret laws as written, not rewrite them to fit their personal or political agendas. By signing below, I’m rejecting the actions of activist judges who impose their own views and demanding a judiciary that respects its role—interpreting, not legislating.”

Musk wrote on X earlier this week: “Something needs to be done to stop the repeated and egregious violation of democracy by the judiciary. That is obvious to all.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Thursday: “Judge James Boasberg is doing everything in his power to usurp the Power of the Presidency. He is a local, unknown Judge, a Grandstander, looking for publicity, and it cannot be for any other reason, because his ‘Rulings’ are so ridiculous, and inept. SAVE AMERICA!”

What’s Next

Musk’s and Trump’s criticism of the judiciary is expected to continue, together with clashes with judges, like Boasberg, who decide to stand up to some of the Trump administration’s most controversial and forceful actions.

Experts have expressed concerns that an escalating feud between the president and the judiciary could lead to a dangerous constitutional crisis.