Billionaire Elon Musk, a progressive darling during the Obama administration, on Wednesday announced that he voted Republican—and predicted a "massive red wave in 2022."
Musk, who owns electric carmaker Tesla and is in negotiations to buy Twitter, tweeted that he voted for Republican Mayra Flores, who on Tuesday won a massive upset victory in a special election in Texas's 34th Congressional District. Flores managed to flip a majority-Latino, longtime-Democratic district by enough votes that she will automatically take the seat, becoming the first Mexican-born U.S. congresswoman.
Musk pointed to Flores's victory as one more piece of evidence for a "massive red wave" in this year’s midterm elections. He's far from the only person to predict an enormous Republican victory this year. Multiple polls have found historic unpopularity for President Joe Biden, whose RealClearPolitics polling average sits at just 43.8 percent, and the Democratic Party. Election forecasters, meanwhile, keep predicting electoral oblivion for Democrats.
Flores's victory is also another sign that Hispanic voters have turned on the Democratic Party and are voting Republican. Nearly 60 percent of Latinos disapprove of Biden's performance, a Quinnipiac poll found last week.
Musk also announced that he is "leaning towards" voting in the 2024 presidential election for Republican Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who remains widely popular in the Sunshine State after media outlets blasted him for what they inaccurately called the "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Musk said last month that he "can no longer support" Democrats.
"They have become the party of division and hate," he tweeted.