The political action committee that Elon Musk funded to the tune of more than $200 million on behalf of President Donald Trump launched a television advertisement this week lauding the first weeks of the administration in which the Tesla CEO is serving.
America PAC began airing an ad nationally and in Washington, D.C., declaring that with former President Joe Biden's departure, “our long national nightmare is finally over, and with Trump, “America is back.”
The 60-second spot hails Trump's moves on immigration, energy and “slashing billions in waste at home,” a nod to the purge of the federal workforce Musk has led as head of the Department of Government Efficiency. The ad is heavy on patriotic imagery, with a soundtrack of swelling brass and images of Trump saluting military and greeting supporters.
Rarely if ever has a White House adviser funded an outside organization promoting his accomplishments. It's the latest example of Musk's singular role in American politics, leading an effort to shutter agencies and fire thousands of workers inside the Trump administration while promoting the president's politics outside.
Another Musk-funded group, Building America's Future, is underwriting ads in the race to fill a potentially decisive seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The April 1 election for that judgeship is likely to be the first major test of both Republican and Democratic influence since Trump's victory in November. The same group ran ads last year, including one aimed at Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, urging confirmation of Trump's secretary of defense nominee Pete Hegseth.
Musk has endorsed the idea of supporting primary challenges for Republicans who waver in their support for Trump's Cabinet and agenda.
Though America PAC's ad focuses squarely on Trump, Musk figures prominently, seen holding his young son X and looking on as Trump speaks during an Oval Office briefing.
The spot also features a clip taken last week of Trump sitting alongside Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a testy meeting between the two over U.S. support for the country's fight against Russia's 2022 invasion.
During the clip, the narrator states Trump is “returning power to our military as he seeks to stop the endless wars across the globe.”
America PAC is “out with its first ever TV ad, airing across the country this week following @realDonaldTrump’s joint address to Congress,” America PAC spokesman Andrew Romeo said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter before Musk purchased it.
America PAC last year spent aggressively on digital and in-person efforts in several states to reach and urge less-frequent voters to vote. The group hired canvassing firms to knock on doors and engage voters in key precincts in battleground states to motivate Trump-friendly voters.
Whether or not the effort made the difference against Democrat Kamala Harris, Trump did carry all seven battleground states, where contractors for Musk's group were active in canvassing voters.
Trump has given Musk wide-ranging access to the administration's inner workings, beyond the effort to shrink the federal workforce and agency spending with which he has been specifically tasked.
Musk has also been privy to talks with administration nominees and, last week, joined Trump at his first Cabinet meeting.
Elon Musk salutes as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Lamar Jackson thought it was over. That the Baltimore Ravens' unwieldy season would end up in a familiar spot: the playoffs.
Then, rookie kicker Tyler Loop's potential game-winning field goal from 44 yards out drifted a little right. And then a little further right. And then a little further right still.
By the time it fluttered well wide of the goalposts, the playoffs were gone. So was Jackson's certainty after a 26-24 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday night sent the Ravens into what could be a turbulent offseason.
“I'm definitely stunned, man,” Jackson said. “I thought we had it in the bag. ... I don't know what else we can do.”
Jackson, who never really seemed fully healthy during his eighth season as he battled one thing after another, did his part. The two-time NFL MVP passed for 238 yards and three touchdowns, including two long connections with Zay Flowers in the fourth quarter that put the Ravens (8-9) in front.
It just wasn't enough. Baltimore's defense, which played most of the second half without star safety Kyle Hamilton after Hamilton entered the concussion protocol, wilted against 42-year-old Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers passed for a season-high 294 yards, including a 26-yard flip to a wide-open Calvin Austin with 55 seconds to go after a defender slipped, symbolic of a season in which Baltimore's defense only occasionally found its form.
Still, the Ravens had a chance when Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 28-yard gain on fourth down from midfield. A couple of snaps later, the 24-year-old Loop walked on to try to lift Baltimore to its third straight division title.
Instead, the rookie said he “mishit” it. Whatever it was, it never threatened to sneak between the goalposts.
“It’s disappointing,” Loop said.
Loop was talking about the game. He might as well have been talking about his team's season.
The Ravens began 1-5 as Jackson dealt with injuries and the defense struggled to get stops. Baltimore found a way to briefly tie the Steelers for first in late November, only to then split its next four games, including a home loss to Pittsburgh.
Still, when Jackson and the Ravens walked onto the Acrisure Stadium turf on Sunday night in the 272nd and final game of the NFL regular season, Baltimore was confident. The Ravens drilled Pittsburgh in the opening round of the playoffs a year ago behind the ever-churning legs of running back Derrick Henry.
When Henry ripped off a gain of 40-plus yards on the game's first offensive snap, it looked like it was going to be more of the same. While Henry did rush for 126 yards and joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders as the only running backs in NFL history to have five 1,500-yard seasons, he was less effective in the second half.
Even that first run was telling of what night it was going to be, as an illegal block by wide receiver Zay Flowers cost Baltimore some field position. The Ravens ended up scoring on the drive anyway, thanks to a 38-yard fourth-down flip from Jackson to a wide-open Devontez Walker, but it started a pattern that was hard to shake as several steps forward were met with one step back on a night the Ravens finished with nine penalties for 78 yards.
“We were having a lot of penalties, which kept stopping drives," Jackson said. “But I'm proud of my guys because we kept overcoming. We kept overcoming adversity and situations like this. Divisional games (can) be like that sometimes.”
Particularly when the Steelers are on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Pittsburgh has won 10 of the last 13 meetings. And while a handful of them have been in late-season matchups with the Ravens already assured of reaching the playoffs, the reality is the Steelers have been able to regularly do something that most others have not: found a way to beat Jackson.
“It comes down to situations like this,” Jackson said. “Two-point conversion one year. Field goal another year. And again this year. Just got to find a way to get that win here.”
And figure out who is going to be around to help get it.
Head coach John Harbaugh's 18th season in Baltimore ended with the Ravens missing the playoffs for just the second time in eight years. Jackson turns 29 this week and is still one of the most electric players in the league.
Yet Harbaugh and Jackson have yet to find a way to have that breakthrough season that Harbaugh enjoyed with Joe Flacco in 2013 when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.
There was hope when the season began that the roadblocks that have long been in the franchise's way — Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes chief among them — would be gone.
While the Ravens did get their way in a sense — the Chiefs will watch the playoffs from afar for the first time in a decade after a nightmarish season of their own — it never all came together.
Jackson declined to endorse Harbaugh returning for a 19th season, saying the loss was still too fresh to zoom out on what it might mean for the franchise going forward.
Harbaugh, for his part, certainly seems up for running it back in the fall.
“I love these guys,” he said afterward. “I love these guys.”
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, right, hands the ball off to running back Derrick Henry (22) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh talks with an offical during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward, left, greets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) after an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers (40) reacts after Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop (33) missed a field goal attempt in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
