Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to Launch 2024 Presidential Campaign with Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to officially launch his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday, May 25th, in an online appearance with tech entrepreneur and CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk.[0] The announcement is expected to take place on Twitter Spaces, the social media site's platform for live audio chats, at 7 p.m.[1] I am sorry, but there is no text to rewrite. “ET” is not a complete sentence or statement. Can you please provide more information or context?[2] The event will be moderated by David Sacks, a well-known tech entrepreneur who is a Musk confidant and a supporter of DeSantis.[3] The Florida Governor is also expected to file his presidential paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday and release a campaign launch video. However, a campaign kickoff rally will come later.[4]
The relationship between DeSantis and Musk could prove beneficial for DeSantis, as Musk has an intense following with over 140 million Twitter followers.[5] Aligning with Musk and his followers could give DeSantis a significant boost, but there is also an obvious downside to teaming up with a controversial figure who has turned Twitter into a safe haven for hate speech.[5]
DeSantis has consistently ranked second in nationwide polls of Republican candidates, behind former President Donald Trump and ahead of the rest of the field of actual and likely candidates in nearly every GOP primary poll.[6] However, Musk has indicated in recent conversations with DeSantis that he doesn't believe former President Donald Trump can win re-election.[4]
The two appear to have cemented their relationship when Musk said last year he would vote for DeSantis for president if he entered the race, and DeSantis invited Musk to move his social media operations to Florida.[2]
While Musk said Tuesday that it's important for Twitter to have a range of voices, the open embrace of a national candidate at such a critical campaign moment resembles implicit support.[7] That opens the company up to more criticism and a potential row with one of its biggest advertisers, Walt Disney Co., which is engaged in an escalating dispute with DeSantis, Florida's Republican governor, over his policies in the state.[7]
Despite the potential benefits of the alliance with Musk, some have criticized DeSantis's planned Twitter event, including a Trump-allied PAC, which called the announcement plans “one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history.”[4]
DeSantis's announcement on Wednesday will end months of anticipation and set up a bitter confrontation with GOP frontrunner Donald Trump for the party's nomination.
0. “Elon Musk Won’t Endorse A Presidential Candidate For Now—But Wants To Interview Them On Twitter” Forbes, 23 May. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollybohannon/2023/05/23/elon-musk-wont-endorse-a-presidential-candidate-for-now-but-wants-to-interview-them-on-twitter/
1. “DeSantis to announce 2024 bid in Twitter chat with Elon Musk” Spectrum News NY1, 23 May. 2023, https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2023/05/23/desantis-twitter-elon-musk-2024
2. “Report: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing run for president in discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk” WESH 2 Orlando, 24 May. 2023, https://www.wesh.com/article/desantis-president-elon-musk/43978756
3. “Should Black People Be Afraid Now that Ron DeSantis Plans to Announce His Presidential Bid… On Twitter?” Yahoo Life, 23 May. 2023, https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/black-people-afraid-now-ron-195000961.html
4. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will kick off 2024 presidential bid with Elon Musk on Twitter” USA TODAY, 23 May. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/23/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-campaign-elon-musk/70249147007
5. “Report: Ron DeSantis Will Formally Announce His 2024 Bid With Elon Musk, Because Apparently David Duke Wasn’t Available” Vanity Fair, 23 May. 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/05/ron-desantis-elon-musk-2024-announcement
6. “DeSantis is expected to announce a presidential run on Twitter with Elon Musk” NPR, 24 May. 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/05/23/1177817806/desantis-presidential-announcement
7. “Elon Musk Hosting Ron DeSantis on Twitter Signals More Partisan Approach” Bloomberg, 23 May. 2023, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-05-23/musk-s-hosting-desantis-signals-starker-partisanship-on-twitter
