Elon Musk wants to be the kingmaker for the 2024 presidential election.
But to do so, the chief executive officer of Tesla knows there is a big obstacle in his way in the person of former Republican President Donald Trump. Musk, the richest man in the world knows he must get rid of this annoying obstacle.
But unlike the real estate magnate's detractors, Musk has established a novel tactic of non-judgmentally repeating a point that should resonate with Trump's even staunchest supporters: his age. Basically, Musk seems to be asking a simple question: is it realistic to have an octogenarian leading a country as powerful as the United States when opponents and rivals have never been fiercer?
To this question that the tech tycoon has been testing for several months now, Musk adds his own touch: attack Trump and respond to any attacks from the latter. Musk, who has become one of the most influential personalities in the world with 100.9 million followers on Twitter as of the time of writing, uses the platform to extend his influence and sway public opinion as the former president did during his four years of reign.
Trump, who primarily shared his posts via a personal account on Twitter — @RealDonaldTrump — had amassed more than 88 million followers on the social network before he was permanently banned from Twitter after the events of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Much like Trump, Musk isn't afraid to use an abrasive style to attack those he sees as his enemies and critics. Musk did not recently hesitate to use an unflattering and cruel tweet against Bill Gates because the co-founder of software giant Microsoft shorted Tesla, Musk's beloved company.
This tweet is proof that Musk will not back down from Trump. It is no surprise that the mogul has just reacted to the declaration of war by the former U.S. president who called him a "bullshit artist" because the tech tycoon said recently that he will vote Republican for the first time in the midterm elections in November.
"You know, he said the other day 'Oh, I've never voted for a Republican'. I said I didn't know that. He told me he voted for me. So he's another bullshit artist," Trump said during a rally in Anchorage, Alaska on July 9.
Two days later, Musk's response came in and it couldn't be clearer: "Not true," the chief executive officer of Tesla wrote on Twitter, without saying if it is not true that he told Trump that he voted for him or it is not true that he spoke to Trump.
Musk goes further and asserts that it is time for Trump to leave the political scene, in any case to end his political career. "I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," the serial entrepreneur said.
And then he hits where it hurts: "Dems should also call off the attack – don’t make it so that Trump’s only way to survive is to regain the Presidency."
This last tweet drew a lot of comments, including one that pushed Musk to choose between Trump and Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, tipped as the former president's biggest threat to the Republican nomination for 2024.
"Hmm. I’m a little surprised this is your take. I say Trump/DeSantis 2024 DeSantis 2028/32," a Twitter user commented.
"Trump would be 82 at end of term, which is too old to be chief executive of anything, let alone the United States of America," Musk responded.
"If DeSantis runs against Biden in 2024, then DeSantis will easily win – he doesn’t even need to campaign," the billionaire added.
Musk on June 15 revealed he would vote for DeSantis in the 2024 presidential election. But, on June 21, in an interview with Bloomberg, Musk was asked if he would support Trump in 2024: "I'm undecided at this point on that election," the billionaire said.
There is no more uncertainty or hesitation. Musk has made his choice and it goes to DeSantis, 43, who has the advantage of being much younger than Trump, whose age Musk also reminds the public. The charismatic and whimsical CEO of SpaceX now seems to urge voters to choose youth.
Musk, 51, has previously pleaded for a limit of the age at which one can stand for election, in order to automatically eliminate the current U.S. President Joe Biden and Trump. Biden will turn 80 in November. He will be 82 at the time of the election in 2024. Donald Trump turned 76 in June. The former president will be over 78 when the next White House election comes around.
Musk's latest tweets show he's determined to weigh in on the 2024 presidential election. The billionaire has promised that he will commit $20 million to $25 million to support his chosen candidate.