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Ben Wikler: “Elon Musk funded Donald Trump's campaign.”

Featuring: Ben Wikler, Democratic | Chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin

The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only

Published March 8, 2025 | Video Starts at 18:01

What's the distinction here? That an unaccountable billionaire, you know, we throw the word oligarch around, but there's something very weird here. Elon Musk funded Donald Trump's campaign. He's now funded a new series of ads. This is a, this is a rollercoaster. This is a, this is a merry go round, really. (18:01–18:04)

CLAIM

Asserts that Elon Musk financially supported Donald Trump's campaign.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Ben Wikler

“The National Institutes of Health [NIH] is probably the best return on investment for your taxpayer dollar there is in America.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 00:14-00:22
“These GLP1s, ozempic things like this, you know, people associate with weight loss, but they're really to fight diabetes.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 00:22-00:30
“Discovered by two scientists working at the NIH under a taxpayer funded grant.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 00:32-00:38
“We all think Novo Nordisk came to market with these things, they commercialized it.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 00:37-00:42
“This wholesale cutting of things is going to hurt us a lot.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 01:39-01:43
“Elon Musk is the richest man on earth. Wealth created in no small part thanks to your taxpayer dollars.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 02:39-02:45
“Elon Musk reportedly has 14 kids with four different women.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 02:46-03:00
“Elon Musk claims to be running multiple companies and the US Government simultaneously while posting a thousand times a week on social…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 02:46-03:00
“We had [an Iranian nuclear deal] until he [Donald Trump] pulled us out of it.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 03:10-27:54
“Mr. Rubio had been privately furious with Mr. Musk for weeks, ever since his team effectively shuttered an entire agency that was supposedly…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 03:30-08:52
“The unelected billionaire berating Trump's Senate confirmed Cabinet secretary with DEI boogeyman and accusing that secretary of straight up…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 06:03-06:13
“Musk lieutenants have obtained access to systems with your bank account, your Social Security number, and all kinds of sensitive and very…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 07:12-07:22
“The actual Treasury Secretary, Scott Besant, was not at the Cabinet meeting because he was on the road defending the Trump tariffs.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 07:31-07:42
“No one stood up to Elon Musk and said, I don't answer to you, I don't serve at the pleasure of Elon Musk.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 11:44-11:53
“Elon Musk showed once again that he is in charge more than Trump, more than the Cabinet members.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 12:17-12:26
“The Times reports, quote, this account is based on interviews with five people with knowledge of the events, end quote.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 12:36-12:45
“There is tension between Elon Musk and the Cabinet secretaries.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 14:45-14:50
“Elon Musk, who is unaccountable to the American people because nobody voted for him, is a problem.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 17:28-17:34
“Donald Trump is upending the last 80 years of geopolitical order on this planet, siding with a murderous invader named Vladimir Putin…”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 19:59-20:11
“The U.S. decision to suspend the flow of military intelligence to Ukraine this week has aided the Russian advance.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 21:44-21:51
“Much of the aid we give Ukraine is spent in the United States.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 25:59-26:03
“The US economy added 151,000 net new jobs in February, falling short of economists expectations of 170,000 jobs.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 31:02-31:12
“The unemployment rate rose from 4% to 4.1%.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 31:11-31:17
“Federal government employment fell by 10,000 thanks to Doge.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 31:16-31:21
“Billionaire Elon Musk is pouring millions of dollars into Wisconsin's Supreme Court race.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 38:09-38:14
“Tesla is suing the state over a decision that prevented the company from opening dealerships in Wisconsin.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 38:36-38:43
“The Wisconsin Supreme Court did [reject Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the will of Wisconsin voters] in a 4 to 3 decision.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 39:07-39:11
“Liberals gained a 4:3 majority on the court after 15 years of conservative control.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:14-41:19
“They threw out legislative maps that gave Republicans commanding majorities in the state House.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:18-41:24
“Reinstated the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:23-41:27
“Accepted cases that will decide whether abortion remains legal in the state.”
The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell - March 7 Audio Only | Uploaded March 8, 2025 | 41:26-41:31