What Max Chafkin has said about 2026 United States midterm elections

2 quotes · 1 episode · Oct 23, 2026

Max Chafkin, Bloomberg Businessweek columnist and author of The Contrarian, a biography of Peter Thiel, has been quoted on 2026 United States midterm elections 2 times in 1 episode of The Builders, most recently on October 23, 2026. Each quote below is verbatim and links to the moment it was said.

In their words

Chafkin argued that if Republicans hold Texas and Congress, it will be thanks to Musk's spending.
“If somehow Ken Paxton manages to win the seat in Texas and Republicans hold off the Democrats, it will be thanks to Elon Musk, I think”
The Builders: After The Builders: On Musk and Thiel (Oct 23, 2026) · Listen from 11:01
Prediction · due Aug 2028
Chafkin predicted that JD Vance is the most likely 2028 Republican nominee and that Musk would back him heavily.
“if J.D. Vance is the Republican nominee in 2028, which I think is the most likely scenario, that Elon Musk will be a major backer of J.D. Vance”
The Builders: After The Builders: On Musk and Thiel (Oct 23, 2026) · Listen from 24:37

Predictions

Prediction · due Aug 2028
Chafkin predicted that JD Vance is the most likely 2028 Republican nominee and that Musk would back him heavily.
“if J.D. Vance is the Republican nominee in 2028, which I think is the most likely scenario, that Elon Musk will be a major backer of J.D. Vance”
The Builders: After The Builders: On Musk and Thiel (Oct 23, 2026) · Listen from 24:37 · 2026 United States midterm elections

Episodes

After The Builders: On Musk and Thiel
The Builders · Oct 23, 2026 · 50 min
TechStuff's Oz Woloshyn and Mangesh Hattikudur join journalists Max Chafkin and Faiz Siddiqui to dissect The Builders' interviews with Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.

Others on 2026 United States midterm elections

Dan Pfeiffer · 17 quotes
Jon Favreau · 12 quotes
Amy Walter · 5 quotes
Tommy Vietor · 5 quotes
Andy Frisella · 5 quotes
Eric Holder · 4 quotes
Ron Brownstein · 4 quotes
Sarah Longwell · 3 quotes

Max Chafkin on other topics

AI pause debate · 1 quote
Technological stagnation · 1 quote
Bollea v. Gawker · 1 quote
Tesla, Inc. · 1 quote
Tesla Roadster (second generation) · 1 quote