BS BULLETIN:

• MS NOW host Chris Hayes criticized Elon Musk for spending “unfathomable amounts of money” on Republican politics instead of charity.
• A Mediaite opinion writer accused Hayes of applying a different standard to George and Alex Soros, who have poured approximately $102 million into the 2026 midterms.
• Billionaires have reportedly spent nearly $1.6 billion during this election cycle, with roughly 65% supporting Republicans and about $360 million flowing from left-leaning donors.

Chris Hayes unloaded on Elon Musk for pouring millions into Republican politics—but critics say the MS NOW host had considerably less to say about the even larger sum coming from George Soros and his son Alex.

Hayes criticized Musk’s political spending as “unfathomable amounts of money” that could have been used for humanitarian causes.

“Not, by the way, to give to charity,” Hayes said before adding that Musk could instead have used the money “to save people’s lives across the Global South.”

Mediaite opinion writer Brad Slager accused Hayes of creating a convenient double standard: Republican billionaires are sinister political puppet masters, while Democratic megadonors receive far less scrutiny.

That distinction becomes harder to maintain when the numbers are placed side by side.

Musk has contributed an estimated $90.6 million during the 2026 midterm cycle, according to a Fast Company analysis citing Washington Post reporting. His total spending is expected to reach between $100 million and $200 million.

George Soros has already contributed approximately $102 million to Democracy PAC, while Alex Soros has assumed a larger role in directing the family’s political operation.

The Soros family is on track to surpass the $128 million it spent during the 2022 midterms.

The money has been routed through Democracy PAC and other entities supporting Democratic candidates and liberal political causes.

The broader numbers show billionaire influence is hardly confined to one party.

Nearly $1.6 billion in billionaire money has entered the 2026 midterms, with about $1.05 billion coming from right-leaning donors and approximately $360 million from donors supporting the left. Another $230 million has reportedly come from donors or organizations that support candidates in both parties.

Musk is not alone among major Republican donors. Jeff Yass, Miriam Adelson, Ken Griffin and Paul Singer have also contributed heavily to Republican candidates and political committees.

Democrats have received major support from the Soros family, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Michael Bloomberg and venture capitalists Stephen and Susan Mandel.

Hayes’ suggestion that Musk does not engage in charitable giving is also incomplete.

The Musk Foundation distributes hundreds of millions of dollars, although critics have argued that Musk gives away a smaller portion of his wealth than other major philanthropists and that some grants have benefited organizations connected to his own interests.

Musk spent approximately $277 million during the 2024 election cycle to support Donald Trump and other Republican candidates, making him the country’s largest political donor that year.

He continued spending after Trump’s victory, contributing tens of millions more to Republican super PACs and his own America PAC.

The question raised by Hayes’ critics is not whether Musk deserves scrutiny. It is whether the same suspicion should apply when the billionaire financing the political machine happens to support Democrats.

MY QUICK TAKE

If billionaire money is corrupting democracy, it does not become holy water when the check is written to your side.

Hayes is free to question Musk’s spending. I do too. No single person—left, right or headed for Mars—should possess the financial power to reshape an election without serious scrutiny.

But George Soros’ money does not arrive with an ethical dry-cleaning receipt because Democrats cash the check.

Either billionaire influence is the problem, or billionaire influence is merely a team sport and Hayes is upset that the other team currently has the deeper bench.

DBS WIRE SOURCES:

• Mediaite — Chris Hayes slams Musk’s political spending but trips over Soros and son
• New York Post — George and Alex Soros pour more than $102 million into the midterms
• Fast Company — Billionaires from Musk to Soros fuel the 2026 midterms
• Breitbart — Musk and other technology billionaires emerge as major Republican donors
• NewsBusters — Previous fact-check of Chris Hayes’ claims about Elon Musk