Elon Musk-Backed PACs Target Voters with Contradictory Kamala Harris Ads in Key Swing States
A group backed by Elon Musk, called the Future Coalition PAC, is running contradictory political advertisements aimed at Muslim voters in Michigan and Jewish voters in Pennsylvania regarding Vice President Kamala Harris. The Super PAC, funded by Musk, is using divisive messages tailored to each group, casting Harris in vastly different lights depending on the audience.
In Michigan, which has a significant Muslim population, the Future Coalition PAC portrays Harris as a staunch ally of Israel. The ads suggest that Harris’s relationship with her Jewish husband, Doug Emhoff, influences her political decisions, implying that she is more aligned with Israel than with Muslim concerns regarding Palestinian rights. These ads appear to be designed to discourage Muslim voters from supporting the Biden-Harris ticket by playing into fears of bias toward Israel.
Conversely, in Pennsylvania, home to large Jewish communities, the same PAC is distributing ads that claim Harris holds antisemitic views. These ads accuse her of undermining Israel’s defense by allegedly supporting efforts to limit U.S. military aid during the recent conflict with Hamas. The advertisements suggest that Harris is opposed to providing Israel with necessary weapons, playing on concerns about safety and security for Jewish voters in the region.
This kind of dual messaging illustrates a deliberate strategy of political microtargeting, tailoring conflicting messages to different demographics in a way that may sow division and dissuade support for Harris from both Muslim and Jewish communities.
In addition to the Future Coalition PAC’s efforts, a related PAC funded by Musk is also focusing on Black voters. Ads on Snapchat in majority-Black ZIP codes highlight a controversial issue in the Black community: menthol cigarette bans. The ads claim that Harris is pushing for policies that would ban menthol cigarettes, a product disproportionately used by Black Americans. Research shows that over 80% of Black smokers prefer menthols, and tobacco companies have historically targeted Black communities with marketing for menthol products.
These ads appear to be part of a wider strategy to undermine support for Kamala Harris and, by extension, the Biden-Harris ticket by sowing distrust in key demographic groups. Microtargeting, especially in swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, can have a significant impact in shaping voter perceptions and potentially swaying the outcome of the election.
While political advertising is not new, the level of sophistication in tailoring messages to specific voter demographics raises questions about the ethical implications of these tactics. The contradictory nature of the messages being sent to different communities could be seen as an attempt to manipulate public opinion and create divisions along racial and religious lines.
This is not the first time microtargeting has been used in U.S. elections, but the involvement of high-profile figures like Elon Musk and the contentious nature of the messages being promoted are likely to draw attention as Election Day approaches.
