Florida’s Ron DeSantis, fresh off a 19-point reelection win and holding a rich campaign war chest, enters the crowded GOP field looking to topple former President Donald Trump.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday with a Twitter announcement plagued by technical glitches, stepping into a crowded Republican primary contest that will test his strength against former President Donald Trump and criticism that he’s not ready for the national stage.
The 44-year-old Republican, an outspoken cultural conservative, initially announced his decision in a video posted on social media, but planned to discuss it further in a first-of-its-kind conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces. But the audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the high-profile announcement in real time.
“We need the courage to lead and the strength to win,” DeSantis said in a minute-long video posted on social media before the conversation with Musk. “I’m Ron DeSantis, and I’m running for president to lead our great American comeback.”
Despite the rocky start, DeSantis’ announcement marks a new chapter in his extraordinary rise from little-known congressman to two-term governor to a leading figure in the nation’s bitter fights over race, gender, abortion and other divisive issues.
DeSantis is considered to be Trump’s strongest Republican rival even as the governor faces questions about his far-right policies, his campaign-trail personality and his lack of relationships across the Republican ecosystem. Still, he has generated significant interest among GOP primary voters by casting himself as a younger and more electable version of the 76-year-old former president.
The ultimate Republican nominee is expected to face Democratic President Joe Biden on the general election ballot in November 2024.
DeSantis joins a field that also includes former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also considered a likely presidential candidate but has not yet announced a bid.
DeSantis tried to discus his presidential candidacy for the first time in a conversation on Twitter Spaces with Musk, one of the world’s richest men who is increasingly considered a conservative cult hero. The meeting was moderated by Republican donor David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur who is close to Musk.
The event started off with technical glitches the Twitter owner said were due to “straining” servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event.
Musk a day earlier dubbed the event a historic first for Twitter, saying it will be “the first time something like this is happening on social media.” The event was scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. EDT, but 20 minutes passed with users getting kicked off, hearing microphone feedback and other technical problems.
“This is a disaster. Not surprising,” tweeted senior Trump adviser Chris LaCivita.
DeSantis and Trump have much in common.
