Elon Musk gives nod to John Deaton in Massachusetts Senate race against Elizabeth Warren

Massachusetts Republican Senate candidate John Deaton can now count the world's richest man among his supporters as he seeks to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren on November 5.

Tesla CEO and X owner, Elon Musk, who is currently worth a cool $195 billion, took to his own social media platform on Monday morning to show his support for Deaton, the moderate Republican who is lagging significantly behind Warren, a progressive Democrat, in the polls.

Musk posted "Yes" in response to an earlier post by Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong who said that Massachusetts residents should vote for Deaton because his opponent, Warren, is "anti-freedom, thinks the government should run all financial services (similar to China), and has done enormous harm to this country."

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Musk, who could not be reached for comment, did not elaborate beyond the one-word post, but the message garnered 23,000 likes, nearly 4,000 reposts, and was widely considered another high-profile endorsement for the Marine veteran crypto advocate who has gained widespread support from major players in the U.S. tech and digital asset industries.

In a statement to Gxstocks, Deaton said:

"From the start of my campaign, I’ve rejected the divisiveness that others, like Elizabeth Warren, fuel in order to stay in power. Instead, I offer a nonpartisan, common sense approach to leadership. That message resonates regardless of who you choose to vote for President. I’m proud to have important, passionate leaders from both sides endorsing me. It’s time we united to solve real world problems."

Deaton's work as a pro bono lawyer for customers of Ripple and Coinbase, two large crypto firms being sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as his vocal criticism of the Biden Administration's approach to crypto regulation has scored him points with the $2 trillion industry.

He's racked up bipartisan support from the likes of billionaire entrepreneurs like Mark Cuban, a Democrat, as well as Trump-supporting Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, founders of the crypto exchange Gemini. He’s also been endorsed by Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse, Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen (also a Democrat), and founder of the Cardano blockchain network, Charles Hoskinson. A super PAC supporting Deaton called the Commonwealth Unity Fund has amassed around $2.5 million in funding from some of those players.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he thinks going "woke" is good for business. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images / Getty Images)

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But despite the love from the crypto faithful, Deaton faces an uphill battle with just two weeks to go until the election. October polling data shows Warren, a powerful Democrat and a key supporter of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris, with a comfortable 20-point lead over Deaton. Harris is expected to easily defeat her GOP opponent Donald Trump in the state and capture Massachusetts' eleven electoral votes.

Deaton faced off against Warren last week in two contentious debates where they sparred over many topics including crypto. Warren, known for her criticisms of the crypto industry, took jabs at Deaton for the amount of monetary support he received from it. 

Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (L) and Republican challenger John Deaton are pictured. (Getty Images/)

"If John Deaton goes to Washington, his crypto buddies are going to want a return on their investment," Warren said on stage during the first debate, noting that Deaton's campaign is largely funded by the crypto industry.

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"I can’t help it," Deaton retorted. "When she goes to ban an entire industry, that they are motivated against her because they see a viable candidate." 

A spokesperson for Warren did not immediately respond to a request for comment.