U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Elon Musk’s political spending ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, warning that the billionaire’s growing influence could threaten the U.S. political system. According to Sina Finance, Sanders wrote on X on Wednesday that a super PAC affiliated with Musk had spent more than $400 million in an attempt to “buy” the midterm elections, and said the election was about whether the world’s first trillionaire could buy the government. He urged Americans to reject oligarchy.

Last week, Musk gave more than $276 million to Republican-affiliated groups and super PACs, counting contributions since July, making him the largest known individual donor in the 2026 midterm elections. He donated $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund and more than $76 million to America PAC. His known federal political donations in the 2025-26 election cycle totaled about $366 million, exceeding the roughly $290 million he spent during the 2024 presidential election.

Reports on Wednesday said Democrats could investigate Musk if they win the congressional elections. California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff called for a full Senate investigation into Starlink restrictions in Ukraine and asked Musk to testify under oath. Schiff cited conflicting statements from U.S. President Donald Trump, who denied ordering any restrictions, and Musk, who said the restrictions were decided by the military and the president.

Democrats also want to investigate Musk’s role in the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts of more than 250,000 federal jobs, withholding of congressional appropriations, and access to sensitive government data. In response to the reports, Musk vowed to identify those he said were directing his critics, writing on X, “Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.” He added that people who provoked him should expect him to find out who was behind them and go after those people, not just their “puppets.”