Twitter-turned-X owner Elon Musk had compliments for presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday, hinting that he may no longer be all-in on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign for president.
Responding to a clip of Ramaswamy on Tucker Carlson’s online show, Musk said the 38-year-old Ohio businessman is a “very promising candidate.”
Musk has been a long-time backer of DeSantis’s candidacy, pledging his support months before DeSantis made his campaign official and teaming up with the Florida governor when that announcement came in May.
DeSantis chose a Twitter Spaces event to announce his presidential candidacy, speaking alongside Musk despite technical difficulties that overshadowed the launch.
The stumble out of the gate from DeSantis set up what has been a difficult campaign. He has floundered in the limelight since officially joining a crowded 2024 field, with lower poll numbers now than when he began in late May.
He attempted to switch strategies in late July and early August, laying off staffers and switching campaign managers as donors looked to rivals like Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) in their attempts to ward off a third GOP nomination for former President Trump.
Ramaswamy, on the other hand, has rocketed up the polls since joining the field as a complete unknown and political novice. According to national polling averages, Trump has about 53 percent support, with DeSantis far behind at 15 percent and Ramaswamy in third at 7 percent.
DeSantis appears to see Ramaswamy as a threat, as leaked debate prep materials instruct the Florida governor to take a “sledgehammer” to the rival candidate. The pair will share a stage at the Aug. 23 debate in Wisconsin, the first of the campaign. Trump is not expected to attend.
Musk has described himself as a centrist and said he voted for President Biden over Trump in 2020. It is unclear if he has switched his allegiance to Ramaswamy, or if he is merely paying a compliment to his candidate’s rival.