Introduced by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as the "Thomas Edison of our time," Elon Musk shared his thoughts on how the United States could improve with some tweaks to the two-party political system.
At McCarthy's annual GOP donor retreat in Wyoming on Tuesday, Musk told attendees that the United States would be better off if the Democratic Party stayed "out of people's wallets" and the Republican Party stayed "out of people's bedrooms," Axios reports.
During his Q&A session with McCarthy, the tech billionaire also complained about the $11 billion tax bill he received in 2021 after selling Tesla stock, joking that the IRS didn't know how to process the bill.
In December, Musk announced he would have to pay the massive tax bill after clashing with progressive Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who claimed Musk was "freeloading off everyone else."
Saying he supports the "left half of the Republican Party and the right half of the Democratic Party" in a tweet before the dinner, Musk describes himself as a political moderate.
When asked by a donor at the exclusive event how the Republican Party could do better, Musk said it should be more welcoming of immigrants. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO, who is himself an immigrant originally from South Africa, added that immigrants are essential for a healthy economy.
A lifelong Democrat, Musk said in May that he plans to vote Republican in the upcoming election cycle.
According to Axios, the entrepreneur pulled the lever for GOP Rep. Mayra Flores in a June special election in Texas and has signaled that he likes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president in 2024.
Musk was recently involved in a public social media feud with former President Donald Trump, calling for Trump to "hang up his hat & sail into the sunset." In a contest against Biden, Musk said DeSantis would easily win without even campaigning.
Musk was in Wyoming with McCarthy the same day that Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., lost her primary to Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman.
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