The SAVE America Act, which would require identification for voter registration nationwide, faced a predictable setback in the Senate. Conservatives sought to use the bill to test the filibuster, but the latest vote confirmed there were not enough Republican votes for passage. The bill drew attention because it matched a familiar conservative activist priority and because Donald Trump promoted claims that American elections are not fair. Elon Musk also amplified the issue through social media, making it one of his most prominent political priorities after other ventures ended. The effort is portrayed as squandered influence, with Musk engaging in politics in a way that did not produce measurable results. Musk had unusual leverage from his fame, funding, and influence over national conversation, yet that position did not translate into effective political shaping.
"Unlike much of the second-term cast, Musk was not a creature of Trump's influence: He had his own fame, power base and funding. The social network formerly known as Twitter gave him a unique influence over the national conversation. His embrace of anti-wokeness gave him credibility on the grass-roots right that most rich Republicans do not enjoy. This leverage seemed as if it could be brought to bear on the territory Musk knew best: space travel, technology policy, overregulation and its discontents."
Read at www.nytimes.com
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