James Talarico called Elon Musk a “great business leader” in an interview taped before his Texas Senate win.
Elon Musk and Democratic Senate-elect from Texas James Talarico may be calling a truce after Talarico called him a “great business leader.” Musk reacted to the Democrat’s comments on X, saying it was “nice of him.” The Tesla CEO’s remarks come days after Talarico defeated Ken Paxton to win the Senate seat in Texas.
Musk was a major critic of Talarico before the elections and donated millions to Republicans in the midterms. According to a New York Times report, the billionaire donated roughly $212 million to Paxton’s campaign.
In an interview shared by NBC News correspondent Ryan Chandler on November 5, 2026, James Talarico extended an olive branch to Elon Musk. Chandler did note that the interview was taped before the election results were out. In the video, Talarico praised Musk and said:
“[Elon Musk] is a great business leader, entrepreneur, and innovator.”
Musk replied to the video on X, and responded by saying:
“Nice of him to say that”
Related: Sneako Weighs In on Midterm Outcome: “Elon Musk Spent Nearly Half a Billion and Talarico Still Won”
James Talarico Said He “Was a Fan of Elon Musk” Before the Billionaire Spent Millions Against Him
In the same interview with Ryan Chandler, James Talarico admitted he was a fan of Elon Musk. However, the Democrat said that was before Musk spent hundreds of millions of dollars against him. He said:
“I was a fan of Elon Musk before he started spending $200 million against me. Before he started making reckless cuts to our federal government. I am a big fan of SpaceX. I’m a big fan of Tesla. And I want him to stick to those things.”
Talarico emphasized that he was willing to work with Elon Musk on technology. However, he would “stand up” to the tech billionaire if he tries to influence the political system with his money:
“I don’t like that he is trying to buy the Senate seat in Texas. I don’t like that he’s using his wealth to influence our political system. That’s where I draw the line. I will stand up to Elon Musk when he tries to buy our government. But I will work with him when it comes to technology and innovation.”
As mentioned, these comments from James Talarico came before the results of the elections. Despite Elon Musk’s funding, Ken Paxton lost to Talarico by over 12 points.
Also Read: “People Are Tired”: Mamdani Blames Midterm Gains on Wealth Gap, Targets Musk’s Trillionaire Status
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
