'Stop oligarchy’: Bernie Sanders turns Musk's India charge on him

US Senator Bernie Sanders has criticised Elon Musk for spending $366 million to support Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections, pointing to the tech billionaire’s sharp rise in wealth since backing President Donald Trump’s election campaign. Sanders said Musk had spent $290 million to help elect Trump and had since become $696 billion richer, becoming the world’s first trillionaire. He added that Musk was now spending $366 million to help Republicans retain control of Congress. "Elon Musk spent $290 million to elect Trump. It paid off. Since his election, Musk got $696 billion richer & became the world’s 1st trillionaire. But that’s not enough. Now, Musk is spending $366 million to keep Republicans in control of Congress. STOP MUSK. STOP OLIGARCHY," Sanders said in a post on X. This comes as Elon Musk said that Starlink’s entry into India would benefit consumers by offering them more choices, arguing that Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani would remain in business even if competition reduced his profits. In a post on X, Musk criticised what he described as arguments by Ambani’s supporters against Starlink’s entry into the Indian market, calling them “absurd hypocrisy and hyperbole”. “On the one hand, they say Starlink couldn’t possibly compete with the amazing low prices offered by Ambani’s de facto monopoly in India and then, in the same breath, they essentially claim that Starlink would be too strong of a competitor!” Musk wrote. “The reality is that competition would greatly benefit the average citizen in India by giving them more choices, as it always does. Ambani’s profits will be lower, but he is not going out of business,” he added. Musk’s remarks follow an earlier post on Friday in which he addressed Ambani as “Prime Minister Ambani” and accused him of being the “real boss of India”. “Dear Prime Minister Ambani, Please accept my humble apologies for not realizing that you are the real boss of India. Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” Musk wrote. The billionaire has also alleged that unnamed business groups are trying to block Starlink’s entry into India to protect their market positions. The government has rejected these allegations, maintaining that the delay is due to pending regulatory and security requirements.Musk’s $276 million push to back Republicans According to a report by The New York Times on Monday, Musk has spent $276 million since July alone, including $158 million through a super PAC focused on Republican Senate candidates. The report identified him as the largest single donor this year. Musk, considered a close ally of Trump, served as a special government adviser to the White House last year. His political action committee, America PAC, has confirmed the spending figures. Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for America PAC, defended the expenditure, saying it was necessary to prevent Democrats from taking control of Congress in the midterm elections. “These robust investments have allowed the GOP apparatus to get its message out so Republicans can have a fighting chance to defy history,” Romeo told The New York Times. The spending comes as Republican candidates contend with Trump’s low approval ratings and growing concerns among voters over the cost of living. Democrats are seeking to capitalise on dissatisfaction with the president’s tenure and regain control of Congress, where Republicans currently hold majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.