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Days after former President Donald Trump claimed Elon Musk lied about voting for him, the billionaire CEO of Tesla said Monday that Trump should “hang up his hat and sail toward sunset,” adding that it was too big for another possible presidential candidacy. in 2024.
At an Alaska event Saturday, Trump referred to a tweet in which Musk, who is trying to terminate his $ 44 billion deal to buy Twitter, wrote that he had recently voted for a Republican for the first time last month.
“He said the other day, ‘Oh, I’ve never voted a Republican.’ “He told me he voted for me, so he’s another shitty artist.”
Musk responded to a video of Trump’s statements in a series of tweets Monday night.
“I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail to the sunset,” Musk tweeted.
I don’t hate the man, but it’s time for Trump to hang up his hat and sail to the sunset.
Democrats should also undo the attack: don’t do it because the only way for Trump to survive is to regain the presidency.
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 12, 2022
Musk also called on Democrats to “change the attack” and not focus on whether Trump decides to run again in the White House.
“Don’t make the only way for Trump to survive is to regain the presidency,” said Musk, who previously noted that he is inclined to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2024 if the Republican runs in the presidency.
While re-offering his support to DeSantis, the billionaire stressed that Trump would be too old to be president.
“Trump would be 82 at the end of his term, which is too old to be executive director of anything, let alone the United States of America,” Musk wrote.
A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Tuesday.
Musk’s tweets against Trump come as Twitter is setting the stage for a legal battle with the billionaire to enforce a takeover he wasn’t even sure he wanted. As the company’s shares fell another 11.3 percent after Musk announced Friday that he was withdrawing from the deal to buy Twitter, the social media giant’s board is expected to file a lawsuit in court. Delaware Chancellery as early as this week to keep the Tesla. executive director on the hook.
Musk’s lawyers argue he has a right to drop the $ 44 billion deal because Twitter hasn’t given him enough information about the company’s business.
Twitter shares fall as he prepares for a messy legal battle with Elon Musk
The back-and-forth between Musk and Twitter is unfolding as Trump continues to criticize the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021 uprising plans. Tuesday’s seventh public hearing is expected to focus on the ways Trump and his allies convened far-right militant groups in Washington as he became increasingly desperate to hold power. The committee is expected to argue that Trump used the date of the vote count in Congress, January 6, 2021, to block a peaceful transfer of power.
The Jan. 6 hearing is expected to focus on the liaison between activists, the White House
Shortly after it was announced that Musk was acquiring Twitter, he said in May that he would reverse the company’s ban on Trump. Twitter had banned Trump’s account after the Capitol riot, citing the “risk of further incitement to violence.” Although Trump has said he would not rejoin Twitter, Musk said the move was “a mistake.”
“I don’t think it was right to ban Donald Trump. I think it was a mistake,” Musk said at a May 10 event hosted by the Financial Times. “It alienated a large part of the country and ultimately did not cause Donald Trump to have no voice.”
On Saturday, Trump, who has continued to make false claims of election fraud, said one of the top priorities for Republicans should be to “stop left-wing censorship and restore freedom of expression in the United States.” When he urged followers to sign up for his social media company, Social Truth – “It’s hot as a gun,” Trump turned his attention to Musk and Twitter.
“Who the hell knows what will happen?” said Trump. “He has a pretty rotten contract. I looked at his contract, not a good contract.”
Trump then attacked Musk for allegedly telling the former president he had voted for him. Musk made a donation to the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016, according to data from the Federal Electoral Commission, and tweeted in May that he voted for Clinton in 2016 and President Biden in 2020. Musk also wrote that he voted for Republican Mayra Flores, who won a special election last year. but south of Texas, the 34th congressional district, very Hispanic and blue-leaning.
When a Conservative media personality challenged Musk’s tweet saying Trump should “hang up his hat and navigate toward sunset,” the billionaire said the former president was carrying “too much drama.”
“Do we really want a bull in a china shop every day ??” Musk wrote. “Also, I think the maximum legal age to start the presidential term should be 69.”
There is no age limit for candidates seeking the presidency. If Trump ran and was the GOP candidate, he would be 78 on election day. Biden would be about two weeks before his 82nd birthday on election day in November 2024.
Musk stated that if DeSantis showed up against Biden, “then DeSantis will win easily, he doesn’t even need to campaign.”
Rachel Lerman, Yiwen Lu, Jacqueline Alemany and Hannah Allam contributed to this report.