Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro delivers remarks at a invoice signing occasion at Cheyney College, an HBCU in Cheyney, Pennsylvania, U.S., August 2, 2024.
Bastiaan Slabbers | Reuters
PHILIPSBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro confirmed to NBC Information on Wednesday that he spoke with tech mogul Elon Musk on Sunday — however stated politics by no means got here up.
NBC News reported Tuesday that Musk known as Shapiro whereas he was on the Pittsburgh Steelers-Dallas Cowboys recreation in Pittsburgh over the weekend. The 2 had been linked by Thomas Tull, a Hollywood producer-turned-investor, in whose field Musk was sitting.
“Thomas and Elon had been on the Steelers recreation collectively and known as me about some concepts that Elon Musk has in investing in Pennsylvania, creating jobs and financial alternative, and I used to be happy to listen to about it,” Shapiro stated after an occasion in Centre County selling Pennsylvania State Parks.
Musk, a Trump supporter who’s pouring money into a pro-Trump super PAC he shaped known as America PAC, is on reverse sides of the political spectrum from Shapiro, a distinguished backer of Vice President Kamala Harris who was as soon as thought of to be on a brief record to be her working mate.
Shapiro acknowledged the political rift between him and Musk, saying, “We clearly did not discuss politics” on Sunday’s name.
“We centered on what I try to do each single day, which is bringing jobs and financial alternative and progress to Pennsylvania. And I need to see extra funding, particularly in southwestern Pennsylvania,” he added.
Pressed about whether or not he has any issues about Musk’s historical past of anti-union comments, Shapiro stated he thinks “the union lifestyle is critically essential. They helped construct our center class and so they strengthen Pennsylvania, so I will proceed to face with our unions.”
In August, after a two-hour public dialog on X between Trump and Musk, the United Auto Staff union filed federal labor charges against both men for feedback they made on the platform about firing employees who threaten to strike.
The Nationwide Labor Relations Board has additionally twice discovered that Tesla violated labor legal guidelines, as soon as in 2018, when Musk questioned in a tweet why Tesla employees would need to pay union dues, and as soon as in 2021, when the corporate fired a union activist.
The decision between Musk and Shapiro got here lower than 30 days earlier than Election Day, as each presidential campaigns are ramping up their efforts in battleground Pennsylvania, which may very well be essential to both candidate’s path to victory. Musk himself is about to marketing campaign within the state on behalf of Trump, a reality Trump highlighted at a rally Wednesday in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the place he known as Musk “unbelievable.”
“He will do lots. He will be concerned,” Trump instructed supporters. “, he is in Pennsylvania now campaigning, Elon Musk, as a result of he feels so strongly.”
Shapiro has been barnstorming the state for Harris, whereas Musk attended a rally with Trump over the weekend in Butler, a metropolis north of Pittsburgh that was the positioning of an try to assassinate Trump on July 13.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and proprietor of X and SpaceX, has ties to the state since he attended the College of Pennsylvania. He formally endorsed Trump after the taking pictures in Butler.
Musk is “form of a reclusive type of a man. He is unimaginable. He is a complete genius,” Trump instructed supporters in Scranton on Wednesday. “We’ve to care for our geniuses.”