Elon Musk returned fire to donald trump Monday night in a series of scathing tweets, urging the former president to give up his ambitions for a political comeback.
Musk’s comments came after Trump attacked the CEO of Tesla in his saturday rally in Anchorage, Alaska.
“I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail off into the sunset,” Musk wrote on Twitter Monday night. “The Democrats should also call off the attack, not make Trump’s only way to survive is to win back the presidency.”
But it didn’t end there. Musk took another chance: at Trump’s age.
“Trump would be 82 years old at the end of his term, which is too old to be CEO of anything, let alone the United States of America,” Musk continued. “Yes [Florida Gov. Ron] DeSantis is running against Biden in 2024, so DeSantis will win easily, he doesn’t even need to campaign.”
The SpaceX founder also responded to Trump’s claim at his rally that Musk told Trump he voted for him.
“Not true,” Musk declared.
A Trump spokesman did not respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment Monday night.
Although Trump has long publicly mocked a 2024 race for the White House, a source close to the former president recently told The Daily Beast that no official decision has been made, adding: “It’s a personal decision between [Trump] and his family.”
Still, the 45th president has continued to hold big rallies, criticizing all manner of opponents, including the Tesla boss.
“Elon. Elon is not going to buy Twitter. Where did you hear that before? From me,” Trump said at his Saturday night rally, taking aim at Musk for refusing your purchase of the social media platform.
“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 that he voted for me. So he’s another fucking artist,” Trump added at the rally before criticizing Musk for his “rotten” contract with Twitter.
The spikes marked a change in the couple’s dynamic just a few months ago. In May, musk declared at a conference hosted by him financial times that he would restore the former president’s Twitter account if his acquisition went through.
“I think it was wrong to ban Donald Trump. I think it was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and ultimately didn’t result in Donald Trump having no voice,” Musk said.
The Tesla CEO had previously served on two of Trump’s presidential advisory councils. Nevertheless, I quit when the then president withdrew from the Paris Agreement, an international commitment to reduce the effects of climate change.
More recently, the billionaire has tangled up with the Biden administration, claiming that it has conspicuously overlooked Tesla in highlighting the efforts of US automakers to produce greener vehicles.
Apparently fed up with both leaders, Musk moved on to DeSantis. How long that alliance lasts remains to be seen.
Do you have a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here
Get the Daily Beast’s biggest scoops and scandals delivered straight to your inbox. Register now.
Stay informed and get unlimited access to the unrivaled Daily Beast reports. Sign up now.