Ron DeSantis officially running for president
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his presidential candidacy on Wednesday, setting him on a potential collision course with former President Donald Trump in the race for the Republican Party’s nomination. DeSantis was set to personally announce his campaign during a Twitter conversation with Elon Musk, but the site crashed repeatedly and suffered numerous other massive glitches, forcing an announcement on a separate Twitter stream with fewer listeners. The long-awaited announcement marks the culmination of years of buzz around the Republican darling, whose resistance to Covid-era lockdown rules and willingness to engage in polarizing cultural fights have garnered attention. DeSantis’ announcement also officially marks his simmering rivalry with Trump, burying their once-close relationship as some in the GOP look to replace the former president as their party’s standard bearer. The move was hardly a surprise, with DeSantis considered as a presidential contender even before the end of the 2020 election cycle. The Florida Governor’s announcement has raised questions about Trump’s dominance over the GOP and his ability to maintain the party’s support.
FAQs
What did Ron DeSantis announce on Wednesday?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his presidential candidacy for the Republican Party’s nomination.
Who was DeSantis originally supposed to announce his campaign with?
DeSantis was originally supposed to announce his campaign with Elon Musk during a Twitter Spaces conversation, but due to site crashes, he announced his presidential bid on a separate Twitter stream.
How has DeSantis’ announcement impacted his relationship with Donald Trump?
DeSantis’ announcement officially marks his simmering rivalry with the former president, burying their once-close relationship as some in the GOP look to replace Trump as their party’s standard bearer.
Was DeSantis’ announcement a surprise?
The move was hardly a surprise, with DeSantis being considered as a presidential contender even before the end of the 2020 election cycle.
What are experts saying about DeSantis’ chances in the GOP nomination race?
While DeSantis has garnered attention for his resistance to Covid-era lockdown rules and willingness to engage in polarizing cultural fights, polls of the potential primary field have showed him losing ground for months, even as he tours key battlegrounds and racks up policy wins with his state’s GOP-held Legislature. Republican and GOP-leaning voters chose Trump over DeSantis by more than a two-to-one margin, 56% to 25%, in a matchup of the hypothetical primary field according to a Quinnipiac University poll released earlier Wednesday.
“Governor Ron DeSantis declares candidacy for presidential election”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced his candidacy for the 2024 US presidential election, setting himself on a collision course with former President Donald Trump in the race for the Republican Party’s nomination. DeSantis was originally scheduled to make a formal announcement during a Twitter Spaces conversation with Elon Musk, but was forced to switch to a second stream which peaked at over 300,000 listeners due to technical issues. Despite the bumpy start, DeSantis’ press secretary, Bryan Griffin, claimed the technical issues merely served to highlight the high levels of enthusiasm for the candidate, with the campaign raising $1m online within an hour. DeSantis made the announcement after signing a bill that relaxed Florida’s so-called resign-to-run law, which was designed to prevent officials running for multiple positions simultaneously.
DeSantis has been touted as a leading contender for the Republican nomination, having spent recent months publishing a political memoir, hosting events for donors and conservative groups, embarking on a multi-state speaking tour, and releasing campaign-style videos touting his achievements in Florida. However, polls of potential primary voters have shown that, in a hypothetical match-up of the field, DeSantis has consistently lost ground to Donald Trump. A Quinnipiac University poll released a day before his announcement showed Republican and Republican-leaning voters choosing Trump by a margin of over two-to-one over DeSantis, with Trump extending his lead from a survey in March.