Elon Musk is now an open Republican “moderate.” After declaring his first vote for Republicans ever, the Tesla CEO tweeted that he was leaning toward DeSantis for president in 2024. He’s also predicting a massive red wave in 2022.

More and more are preferring Gov. Ron DeSantis to former President Trump. Recent polls show DeSantis up ahead for all Nevada voters. Trump is still up for just Republicans in the state, but only by four points. The former president is also still up nationwide, but his lead against the Florida governor continues to shrink.

Does Ron DeSantis have a path to the White House? As long as Trump runs, which it appears that he will, it’s unlikely. To beat the former president in the GOP primary, DeSantis would have to go on the offensive and risk alienating the most loyal in Trump’s voting base.

Big picture: As many analysts point out, Gov. Ron DeSantis is a highly effective politician, following Trump’s goals and agenda, without the polarization that comes with Trump’s persona. Influential people who would be afraid to endorse Trump are not scared to endorse DeSantis, like Musk. For this reason, he would be a hard candidate to beat in national elections.