(The Hill) – Elon Musk said he would support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) if he runs for president in 2024.
In a tweet responding to a user question on Friday, Musk said that he would support DeSantis after claiming he would prefer a “sensible and centrist” candidate. The latest post follows a tweet in June in which the billionaire said he was leaning toward supporting the governor in the next presidential election.
“My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist. I had hoped that would the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far,” Musk tweeted Friday.
Musk added that he was a “significant supporter” of the Obama administration and “reluctantly” voted for President Biden over former President Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
Musk made the comments about the potential 2024 contender in a series of posts responding to an article from a conservative news outlet about the Twitter and SpaceX CEO restoring Trump’s account.
Trump’s account had been suspended in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, but he indicated after his ban was lifted that would not return to Twitter. He said that he preferred to stay on his Truth Social platform that he created after the suspension.
“I’m fine with Trump not tweeting. The important thing is that Twitter correct a grave mistake in banning his account, despite no violation of the law or terms of service,” Musk said. “Deplatforming a sitting President undermined public trust in Twitter for half of America.”
The news from Musk comes as DeSantis has seen increased support in hypothetical match-ups for the GOP nomination in 2024 following a disappointing performance from the party in the midterm elections.
Many Trump-backed candidates in key races lost to their Democratic opponents, but DeSantis won reelection by almost 20 points, and Republicans across the state performed well.
Members of his own party have criticized the former president, blaming him for high-profile losses. Some in the GOP have expressed concern that Trump’s 2024 announcement made earlier this month could hamper Republican nominee Herschel Walker’s chances in an upcoming Georgia runoff election against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) for a seat in the upper chamber.
DeSantis, for his part, has sought to position himself as a leader, championing conservative values.
The Florida governor has received sharp criticism from Democrats for what critics have dubbed the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and for chartering a flight to transport migrants from the southern border to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, among other things.