Elon Musk says he’s ‘undecided’ about supporting former President Donald Trump in a presidential run in 2024, after previously stating that he would support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
When Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait interviewed the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder virtually on Tuesday at Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, he was pressed on the issue.
When asked directly if he would support Trump, Musk initially dodged the question, but when asked again, he said, “I think I’m undecided at this point on that election.”
In recent years, the billionaire has described himself as a moderate, but in recent months, he has shifted to conservatism. Last week, he made his political allegiance clear in a barrage of tweets in which he expressed his support for DeSantis.
Musk was asked to elaborate on his tweet about possibly forming a “Super Moderate Super PAC” to support political candidates with centrist views in a Bloomberg interview on Tuesday.
Musk initially stated that he would invest a “significant amount,” but when pressed for a figure, he said he would be willing to spend “$20 million or $25 million” if he decides to pursue the idea.
Musk announced last Tuesday that he had voted Republican for the first time, casting a ballot for Maya Flores, a new Texas congresswoman.
The world’s richest man went on to call the victory a victory and predict a massive red wave in November’s midterm elections.
‘I voted for Mayra Flores – my first Republican vote,’ Musk wrote.
‘Massive red wave in 2022,’ the mogul added.
The tech billionaire then responded simply, “DeSantis,” when asked who he is leaning toward supporting in 2024.
Musk was also asked about Andrew Yang, a candidate in the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential primary. ‘I voted for Yang last time, but DeSantis has a better chance of winning,’ he said.
When asked directly if he would support Trump, Musk initially dodged the question, but when asked again, he said, “I think I’m undecided at this point on that election.”
In recent years, the billionaire has described himself as a moderate, but in recent months, he has shifted to conservatism. Last week, he made his political allegiance clear in a barrage of tweets in which he expressed his support for DeSantis.
Musk was asked to elaborate on his tweet about possibly forming a “Super Moderate Super PAC” to support political candidates with centrist views in a Bloomberg interview on Tuesday.
Musk initially stated that he would invest a “significant amount,” but when pressed for a figure, he said he would be willing to spend “$20 million or $25 million” if he decides to pursue the idea.
Musk announced last Tuesday that he had voted Republican for the first time, casting a ballot for Maya Flores, a new Texas congresswoman.
The world’s richest man went on to call the victory a victory and predict a massive red wave in November’s midterm elections.
‘I voted for Mayra Flores – my first Republican vote,’ Musk wrote.
‘Massive red wave in 2022,’ the mogul added.
The tech billionaire then responded simply, “DeSantis,” when asked who he is leaning toward supporting in 2024.
Musk was also asked about Andrew Yang, a candidate in the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential primary. ‘I voted for Yang last time, but DeSantis has a better chance of winning,’ he said.
DeSantis, speaking at a conference in Madeira Beach on Wednesday, joked about Musk’s potential support with a joke about the billionaire’s South African ancestry.
‘I’m focused on 2022, but I welcome African American support,’ the Republican joked to a reporter.
The crowd erupted in laughter at the well-timed remark, which added fuel to the fire surrounding DeSantis’ rumored presidential ambitions.
DeSantis has continued to emerge as a central figure in the ongoing culture wars between the woke Left and those with other political ideologies, prompting the unexpected endorsement.
DeSantis, a conservative known for his anti-woke political policies, has yet to declare a presidential bid for 2024, but is widely expected to do so.
He was chastised earlier this year for signing a parental rights bill into law prohibiting public schools from teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation to children under the age of ten, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” by the Left.
Meanwhile, Musk, a staunch libertarian and businessman who has seen his fortune increase as a result of the pandemic, has shown a shift to the political right after being hailed by progressives as a new, more hip breed of businessman.
Musk’s shifting political views came to light in April, when he announced his intention to buy a majority stake in Twitter for an incredible $44 billion.
On April 14, his offer to buy Twitter for $54.20 per share was made public.
According to a regulatory filing, Twitter’s board unanimously recommended that shareholders approve the company’s proposed $44 billion sale on Tuesday.
During a virtual meeting with Twitter employees last week, Musk reiterated his desire to move forward with the acquisition, despite the fact that Twitter shares remain far below his offering price, indicating considerable doubt that it will happen.
Before the opening bell on Tuesday, shares rose about 3% to $38.98, still a long way from Musk’s offer of $54.20 per share. The stock last reached that level on April 5, when the company offered Musk a seat on the board of directors before he offered to buy Twitter outright.
Twitter’s board of directors said in a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday that it ‘unanimously recommends that you vote (for) the adoption of the merger agreement.’
If the deal were to close right now, shareholders would make a $15.22 profit on each share they own.
Many Democrats and liberals worry that Musk’s vision for Twitter will allow more misinformation to spread on the platform.
Meanwhile, right-wing Republicans and politicians have hailed his potential takeover as a victory for free speech.
Some Republicans are optimistic that GOP accounts, including President Donald Trump’s, will be reinstated on the platform after being previously banned.
Those hopes were dashed, however, when Musk announced that his takeover had been put on hold a week later, citing concerns about fake Twitter accounts.
Musk then shocked the world even more when he announced that, due to liberal bias at the San Francisco company, he would switch political allegiances and vote for the Republican party in the upcoming election.
Musk confirmed his decision to change his vote while speaking via video link at a tech summit hosted by the All-In podcast in Miami, Florida in May.
‘The reality is that Twitter, you know, has a very far left bias at this point,’ Musk told the audience. ‘I consider myself a moderate, not a Republican or a Democrat.’
Musk went on to say that in the past, he has ‘overwhelmingly’ voted for Democrats.
‘Historically, I have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats. To be clear, I might never have voted for a Republican,’ Musk said. ‘Now this election, I will,’ he declared.
He did not specify whether he meant he would vote for the eventual Republican presidential candidate in 2024 or for a GOP candidate in the upcoming November midterm elections, according to Insider.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and the founder of SpaceX, has a net worth of nearly $209 billion, $86 billion more than the next richest man on the planet, Jeff Bezos.
Musk’s political donations in DeSantis’ Florida have been sparse, to say the least – and they’ve been bipartisan.
In 2014, he gave identical $2,500 checks to both Democrat Charlie Crist and then-GOP Gov. Rick Scott, who were both running for governor at the time.
In 2010, he gave $1,000 to Democratic U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.
Musk gave at least $5,000 to Democrat Senator Bill Nelson of Florida in 2006.
He’s also given at least $15,200 to Republican Senator Marco Rubio over the years.