DeSantis to Announce 2024 Presidential Bid in Twitter Event with Elon Musk
The atmosphere in "DeSantisland" turned less cheerful on Thursday as Governor Ron DeSantis geared up for his anticipated entry into the 2024 presidential race.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will join Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, on a virtual stage Wednesday night to officially begin his campaign for the Republican presidential primary, according to a spokesperson for the governor, as reported by CNN. By choosing Twitter Spaces, the site’s audio platform, for this announcement and engaging in a conversation with Musk, who possesses his own dedicated fanbase, DeSantis aims to secure the support of influential figures on the right wing.
This move is part of a larger strategy to surpass former President Donald Trump and secure the 2024 GOP nomination. Although DeSantis is widely regarded as Trump’s most formidable primary opponent, his standing has weakened in recent polls and among concerned donors due to uncertain performances leading up to his campaign launch. By opting for Twitter to make this announcement, the 44-year-old Republican seeks to distinguish himself from the rest of the growing field, as most candidates have chosen more traditional settings to declare their candidacy.
DeSantis Challenges Trump’s Twitter Legacy
Launching his presidential candidacy on Twitter challenges the former president. Trump, who had been banned from the platform in 2021 before Musk’s takeover, had extensively used Twitter to criticize opponents, express grievances, and energize his MAGA movement. Although Musk reinstated Trump’s account after assuming control of Twitter, the former president had subsequently shifted to Truth Social. DeSantis aims to capture Musk’s attention and influence in Trump’s absence.
The announcement event, initially reported by NBC News, is scheduled for 06:00 p.m. ET and will be moderated by David Sacks, a technology entrepreneur and ally of Musk. CNN has reached out to Musk for a statement. Confirming the event publicly during a Wall Street Journal function, Musk said he would interview Ron DeSantis, emphasizing that it would be the first time such an event occurred on social media, featuring real-time questions and unscripted answers. Musk clarified that he had no plans to endorse any candidate “at this time.” Sacks, a significant political donor, and supporter of DeSantis, contributed over $70,000 to the governor’s political committee in 2021.
DeSantis Faces Criticism and Unconventional Strategy
As previously reported by CNN, DeSantis’s campaign team is devising an aggressive and unconventional strategy for his presidential bid. In response to DeSantis’ choice of Twitter for his campaign announcement, Trump’s super PAC criticized it as “one of the most disconnected campaign launches in modern history.” MAGA Inc., in a statement released on Tuesday, ridiculed the niche Twitter campaign launch and also aimed DeSantis’ after-party venue at the exclusive Four Seasons resort in Miami, labeling it as unrelatable.
Their plan involves a relentless and unpredictable outreach across the political landscape, aiming to engage thousands of primary voters swiftly, create contrasts with his older rivals (Trump and President Joe Biden), and generate attention. According to sources familiar with the planning, DeSantis is expected to submit the necessary paperwork to declare his candidacy to the Federal Election Commission this week. A formal announcement is scheduled for the following week in Dunedin, his hometown in Florida.
A Formidable Rival Emerges: DeSantis Faces a Tough Match
Through a series of strategic moves in the past year, DeSantis has inadvertently created a challenging situation for himself, referred to as the “Mousetrap.” During a recent visit to South Carolina, a crucial primary state, he openly criticized Disney, boldly stating, “They may have held influence over Florida before I came into the picture, but they no longer hold that power.”
The conflict between the governor and Disney stems from the company’s opposition to legislation signed by DeSantis last spring, which placed restrictions on teaching sexual orientation and gender identity to young students, commonly known as the “Don’t Say, Gay Bill.” This measure is part of DeSantis’s deliberate focus on cultural issues and his campaign against what he perceives as “woke” diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.
This strategy aims to appeal to conservative voters who feel traditional American values are undermined by an increasingly diverse and inclusive society. However, the governor’s clash with Disney—a massive corporation that resonates with millions of mainstream Americans and has actively pursued greater inclusivity in recent years—may indicate potential difficulties in garnering support for such policies among more moderate voters during a general election.
In his recently published autobiography, DeSantis claimed that Disney had been influenced by “leftist activists” to adopt a position that alienated parents and children in Florida, asserting that it had strayed from its core business. He justified his subsequent efforts to maintain control over a special tax district that had granted Disney considerable autonomy, arguing that the company was no longer acting in the state’s best interests.
Rival Reactions Intensify as DeSantis Faces Political Fallout
The ongoing dispute between DeSantis and Disney holds significant political implications, evident by the swift responses from some of his potential rivals in the GOP primary. Statements from Trump’s camp celebrated his past predictions of DeSantis being “absolutely destroyed by Disney” and emphasized Trump’s self-proclaimed infallibility. This situation allows Trump to portray DeSantis as weak and politically inexperienced while also criticizing the governor’s notable economic and political accomplishments in Florida, which DeSantis is highlighting as the foundation of his campaign.
DeSantis to Announce 2024 Presidential Bid in Twitter Event with Elon Musk Source: Web
Trump, known for his reputation as a skilled dealmaker, can leverage this persona to resonate with GOP primary voters and further undermine DeSantis’s business record. The Trump campaign released a statement asserting that DeSantis’s “failed war on Disney” has had little positive impact on his struggling campaign and is now negatively affecting Florida’s economy. Another potential GOP primary candidate, former Vice President Mike Pence, also used the Disney controversy to criticize DeSantis, suggesting that the governor should have accepted the legislative victory regarding teaching gender issues in schools rather than escalating the conflict.
