Washington Post columnist Phillip Bump appeared to concede that donations made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg were influential in getting Democrats to the polls during the 2020 election. The accidental admission would appear to indicate that “Zuckbucks” had a sizable impact on election results.
On Tuesday, Twitter CEO Elon Musk shared an article from The Federalist that detailed how Zuckerberg donated hundreds-of-millions to nonprofits in the months leading up to the 2020 presidential election. The report explained how Zuckerberg poured millions into election offices in battleground states, particularly in areas with heavy Democrat majorities.
After Musk shared the story, Washington Post columnist Philip Bump penned an article titled “Musk shares baseless election claim with millions of Twitter users,” where he attempted to discredit claims made in the story. “This is a common way in which Musk elevates right-wing rhetoric. He’ll often engage with fringe voices by declaring their commentary to be “concerning” — suggesting it’s just something worth mulling over,” Bump wrote.
The Washington Post columnist then appeared to admit that the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) and the Center for Election Innovation and Research (CEIR — two recipients of hefty donations from the Facebook founder — were used to increase turnout in heavily blue areas.
“Much of the analysis in the Federalist article centers on the idea that these investments were larger in more-Democratic counties, using that as a peg for the argument that the investments were partisan and critical to Biden’s success,” Bump wrote.
“But that argument is easily countered. CTCL’s investments were often in heavily Democratic areas — because those areas often have lower turnout rates. If you want to increase turnout, the smartest place to try to do so is places where turnout is lowest,” he continued.
Interesting article. Perhaps @CommunityNotes can add further context & corrections.https://t.co/nor7Ksk70H
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2023
