[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Josel Gina] Following Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla who acquired Twitter, John Bolton, former White House National Security Advisor who served former U.S. President Donald Trump, also mentioned Ron DeSantis, Governor of Florida and a 'presidential contender' Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
On the 26th (local time), former Advisor Bolton stated in an interview with the British daily The Guardian, "Many people see him (Governor DeSantis) as the next generation candidate."
He said, "The biggest problem with former President Trump is that his actions have become old and tiresome," predicting that his influence within the party will gradually diminish. He explained that even those who support Trump's style and policies do not want the Republican Party to lose in the election.
He also mentioned, "After the midterm elections, many people have erased former President Trump from their minds." This is interpreted as a remark pointing out the so-called 'Trump responsibility theory' that arose after the Democrats performed better than expected in the November 8 midterm elections, which were anticipated to be a Republican landslide.
On that day, former Advisor Bolton evaluated, "If the Republican Party wants to win the 2024 presidential election, former President Trump is not the answer," but regarding Governor DeSantis, he said, "The Republican Party is ready to move on to a new face." He also predicted that President Joe Biden would not run again as the Democratic candidate.
Governor DeSantis has been mentioned as the strongest rival and alternative to former President Trump in the Republican Party's next presidential contender competition ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. After the midterm elections, some polls showed that Governor DeSantis surpassed former President Trump to take first place in preference as the next Republican presidential candidate.
Earlier this month, hedge fund Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, a so-called 'big player' who supports Republican political funds, publicly declared support for Governor DeSantis. Following this, former Advisor Bolton, who served in the Trump administration, and CEO Musk have also been confirmed to be turning their backs on former President Trump.
Former Advisor Bolton, who practically oversaw foreign and security policies in the early days of the Trump administration, parted ways with former President Trump and has publicly criticized his foreign and security policies through memoirs and interviews.
Yesterday, CEO Musk also confirmed his intention to support Governor DeSantis. When asked on Twitter, "Will you support DeSantis in 2024?" he replied, "Yes." He added, "I hope the 2024 presidency goes to a more discerning and moderate figure," and said, "I had hoped the Biden administration would be like that, but so far it has been nothing but disappointment." CEO Musk is known to have voted for President Biden, not former President Trump, in the 2020 election.
Meanwhile, former President Trump officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election as scheduled on the night of the 15th, despite repeated responsibility theories for election losses. However, in the U.S., negative public opinion dominates, with a poll showing that 65% of respondents believe former President Trump should not run in the election.
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