Stephen King has offered a blunt explanation for why Elon Musk is spending heavily to stop Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in Texas. On October 25, 2026, the bestselling author posted on X that Musk is “afraid” of Talarico because the billionaire has major business operations in the state. King wrote that Musk’s opposition has nothing to do with beliefs and everything to do with money.
What Stephen King Said
The exchange began after Musk called Talarico a “far-left extremist” in a post on X. King reshared the post and added his own view. “Elon Musk is afraid of Talarico because he [Musk] has a lot of business in Texas,” King wrote. “It has nothing to do with principles or programs; for Musk, it’s all about the Benjamins”.
King’s comment points to Musk’s large footprint in Texas. SpaceX runs its Starbase complex in the state. Tesla is headquartered there. Musk’s tunnel company, The Boring Company, is based in San Antonio. He is also building a semiconductor and AI facility in Grimes County. A candidate like Talarico, who has made Musk’s spending a central campaign issue, could threaten those interests if elected.
Elon Musk Fires Back
Musk did not let King’s remark pass. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO replied with a sharp post of his own: “Your mental model outside of short-sighted tribalism is pathetically stupid”.
The back-and-forth marks a dramatic shift in their relationship. Mashable noted that the two used to have friendly exchanges on X, including a 2019 conversation about King owning a Tesla. Musk once called King “one of the most creative people on Earth”. That goodwill has clearly faded.
Why Musk Is Backing Ken Paxton
Musk’s criticism of Talarico is tied to the November 3, 2026 race for a U.S. Senate seat in Texas. Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative and Presbyterian seminary student, is running against Republican Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general.
Federal election filings show Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which transferred the same amount to Texas PAC, a super PAC supporting Paxton. Musk formally endorsed Paxton in October 2026, writing on X: “The fate of Texas and America is at stake. Vote for [Ken Paxton] today”.
Paxton won the Republican nomination after defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a May 2026 primary runoff. The Emerson College Polling and The Hill survey from late October showed Talarico with 48 percent support and Paxton with 46 percent, making it one of the closest Senate races in the country.
Talarico’s Message to Musk
Talarico has not stayed quiet about Musk’s spending. At a campaign rally at the University of Texas at Austin on October 23, 2026, he told supporters that Musk is trying to buy the Senate seat.
“Elon Musk is trying to buy the Senate seat,” Talarico said. “We just found out that the richest man in the world is almost single-handedly bankrolling this effort to install Ken Paxton in the US Senate and stop the movement that we are building in our state”.
He also tied Musk directly to the attack ads and mailers aimed at him. “If you’ve seen an attack ad on your screens, that was Elon. If you’ve gotten lies in your mailbox, that was Elon. If you received a text message saying scary things about me with scary black and white photos, that was Elon too”.
Talarico summed up his message with a line that has become a rallying cry: “Elon Musk wants our land. He wants our water. He wants our tax dollars. He wants his very own personal United States senator. He is trying to buy Texas. But on November 3rd, we are going to deliver a crystal clear message to the world’s first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale”.
In a separate post on X, Talarico responded to Musk’s “far-left extremist” label by writing: “There is something deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal U.S. Senator”.
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The Texas Senate Race at a Glance
- Democratic candidate: James Talarico, state representative since 2018, age 37.
- Republican candidate: Ken Paxton, Texas attorney general since 2015.
- Election day: November 3, 2026.
- Musk’s spending: $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which went to Texas PAC supporting Paxton.
- Latest poll: Talarico 48%, Paxton 46% (Emerson College Polling/The Hill).
- Musk’s Texas business ties: SpaceX Starbase, Tesla headquarters, The Boring Company in San Antonio, and a semiconductor and AI facility in Grimes County.
King’s post adds a celebrity voice to a race that has already drawn national attention. The author has criticized Musk before, including over Musk’s 2024 endorsement of Donald Trump and changes to X’s verification system. With just days left before the election, the online clash between King and Musk has put the Texas Senate race in front of an even larger audience.
Also Read: Alex Gibney’s Musk Documentary Trailer Arrives, Elon Musk Slams Film as Boring Hit Piece
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