UPDATE - Musk Says Would Support DeSantis In 2024 Election

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2022) Twitter's new owner, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, says he would support Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis if the latter decides to run for president in the 2024 US election.

"Would you support Ron DeSantis in 2024, Elon?" a Twitter user asked on Friday, with Musk replying "Yes."

In May, Musk tweeted that he had voted Democrat in the past, but "they have become the party of division and hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican."

On Friday, Musk tweeted "My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist. I had hoped that would (be) the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far."

In June, Musk said on Twitter that he was leaning toward Ron DeSantis as a potential candidate he would support in 2024, if Florida's Republican governor were to run for president.

Former US President Donald Trump announced his latest presidential bid last week, after the Republican Party failed to gain control of the Senate and an anticipated broad wave of support for the GOP never materialized in the House midterms. The Republicans seized control of the lower chamber, several networks projected, although by a smaller margin than expected.

A number of Trump-endorsed candidates saw mixed outcomes in the midterms, which the former president himself described as "disappointing."

Experts told Sputnik that Trump would face stiff competition for the nomination from a new generation of rising Republican leaders including DeSantis, who won a landslide victory over his old opponent Charles Crist and was reelected to the position of governor of Florida by a wide margin on November 8.