Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, setting up a clash with former US President Donald Trump to shake up the campaign for the White House.
DeSantis made the declaration in a video ahead of an audio interview on Twitter with Elon Musk.
Overview
DeSantis was first selected for a position in the House of Representatives in 2012, making him relatively new to US politics compared to some of his Democrat and Republican counterparts. After failing to become a senator, he was elected governor of Florida just six years later, in 2018.
The Florida Governor has presided over the enactment of a slew of high-profile and controversial legislations including making acquiring a gun easier, limiting sex and gender identity teaching in schools, and restricting abortion access.
He claims that this “Florida Blueprint” may serve as a roadmap for federal policy, steering the US in a profoundly conservative path.
During his talk with Musk, DeSantis highlighted his conservative credentials and praised his own anti-lockdown approach in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis in his state, which was applauded by many Republicans.
He defended the educational reforms in Florida, claiming that his state “chose facts over fear, education over indoctrination, law and order over rioting and disorder.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled his 2024 US presidential campaign at a chaotic, glitch-filled Twitter event hosted by Elon Musk https://t.co/5u0ghBTm3M pic.twitter.com/tWTagdw666
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 25, 2023
DeSantis announced his candidature for the Republican presidential nomination earlier on Wednesday, filing with the Federal Election Commission before releasing a stylised announcement video. “Our border is a disaster, crime infests our cities... and the president flounders,” he says in the video. “But decline is a choice, success is attainable, and freedom is worth fighting for.”
A bill that ensures DeSantis will not have to leave the governor’s mansion to run for president was passed during the most recent legislative session in Florida, eliminating a potential “resign-to-run” obstacle for his campaign.
DeSantis will also benefit from a sizable war chest. He had $88 million (£71 million) in a fund left over from his Florida re-election campaign at the end of last month, which he can transfer to his White House candidature. Additionally, he is said to have about $30 million under the control of an independent committee, which his allies can use to support his campaign.
The Florida Governor gave a speech later on Fox News, outlining more specific pledges, such as declaring an emergency at the nation’s southern border on his first day in the White House. He also pledged to eliminate President Joe Biden’s “anti-American energy policies” and fire FBI Director Christopher Wray, who Trump appointed.
Twitter Crashes As Ron DeSantis Launches 2024 US Presidential Campaign https://t.co/ywuMNdBYc7 pic.twitter.com/sIM5pdPniS
— NDTV News feed (@ndtvfeed) May 24, 2023
Glitches in DeSantis’ Twitter Announcement
The Twitter stream of the hour-long interview, which was supposed to be the official beginning of the DeSantis campaign, lost sound for a considerable time, and thousands of people were either unable to join or were dropped.
Twitter CEO Musk stated that the systems appeared overwhelmed by many people trying to listen as the Twitter Spaces event collapsed numerous times on Wednesday. Even at its peak, the number of listeners mentioned was roughly 420,000, significantly short of the millions of viewers who watched televised presidential announcements.
DeSantis: Trump’s Biggest Rival for the Republican Nomination
DeSantis will begin his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 and is expected to be Donald Trump’s prominent opponent.
Trump, who long referred to the Florida Governor as a “brilliant young leader,” has now labeled him “Ron DeSanctimonious” and called him a “hypocrite.”
Aiming at DeSantis, Donald Trump said on Truth Social, “Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!”