Musk jumps back into Trump's orbit ahead of midterms

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{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Musk jumps back into Trump's orbit ahead of midterms Elon Musk is jumping back into the political fray, reviving his role as a massive election spender and technology leader with a seat at the table again in Washington. © Alex Brandon, Associated PressFollowing a brief break from President Trump’s orbit last year, Musk’s recent appearances in D.C. and influx of election cash signals his appetite for policy and politics isn't gone yet. Despite suggesting he could pull back political involvement, Musk’s recent election spending makes him the largest campaign donor of 2026 as he tries to give the GOP a boost ahead of the midterms. And while he isn’t serving as Trump’s adviser anymore, he is increasingly appearing alongside the president at high-stake events and took on a new leadership role for a Pentagon project. For my latest story, I spoke with a handful of political strategists about Musk's recent presence in Washington, and how the tech mogul is redefining his role in Trump's orbit. “Nothing brings people together like a common enemy and it’s election season,” one Republican strategist told me. Subscribe to The Hill's Insider to read more tomorrow morning. Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter, we’re Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Saudi national arrested after allegedly hiding recording device in OpenAI office An OpenAI employee from Saudi Arabia has been arrested after allegedly hiding a recording device in the company’s offices, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday. Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old Saudi national who had worked as an engineer at OpenAI since last July, was charged with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications. The recording device was discovered at one of the firm’s San Francisco … Full Story Global law enforcement agencies, tech firms disrupt West African scam network A group of law enforcement agencies from around the world teamed up with a handful of high-profile technology firms to disrupt West African criminal scam networks, the Justice Department (DOJ) announced Tuesday. The operation led to “dozens” of arrests and 117 trafficking victims rescued from scam compounds in Ghana, the DOJ said. Authorities in the country seized hundreds of electronic devices, and at least $11 … Full Story Melania Trump’s student AI competition gets rebranded as SI Presidential Challenge Melania Trump’s annual artificial intelligence (AI) competition for students is getting rebranded with President Trump’s preferred name of super intelligence (SI). The first lady appeared in a video to launch the 2027 Presidential Super Intelligence Challenge on Tuesday. “The largest initiative in America’s education began with one bold idea,” Trump said, “prepare America’s next … Full Story Supreme Court to hear DOGE’s bid to avoid turning over internal documentsThe Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to review a requirement that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) turn over internal communications in ongoing litigation, which the Trump administration calls an “intrusive” demand that violates the separation of powers. The high court previously issued a ruling siding with the administration when it sought emergency relief. Now, the dispute has returned to the justices on their … Full Story The Refresh News we’ve flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Character.AI files for bankruptcy, to sell some assets to Disney for $20 million (Reuters) Anthropic warns AI models could soon copy themselves across home devices (CNBC) In Other News Branch out with other reads on The Hill:Kroger laying off 3,000 corporate employees over 3 years amid increased AI use Grocery store chain Kroger said it will lay off 3,000 corporate employees over the next three years as it ramps up its use of artificial intelligence to streamline operations. “Technology is reshaping what’s possible,” CEO Greg Foran wrote in a memo to employees on Monday. “The way work gets done is changing across every industry; we must adapt and take advantage of technology. We need to adopt capabilities, reduce duplicative … Full Story Op-eds in The Hill Opinions related to tech submitted to The Hill: The AI race with China the US is losingOffice mandates don’t just change where we work — they change how we think AI is making work faster, but creation of better jobs won’t be automatic You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! [sailthru_widget name="Sailthru Widget Block" sailthru_list="Technology" title="Technology"]

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