UNITED STATES: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will make his 2024 presidential bid announcement on Wednesday in an online appearance with Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
At 18:00 local time (22:00 GMT), Musk is slated to host a Twitter Spaces chat with DeSantis. Later the same evening, the DeSantis campaign is anticipated to release an official launch video.
The 44-year-old DeSantis is seen as former President Donald Trump’s main rival for the Republican Party’s nomination. The governor has joined a growing list of rivals trying to unseat Trump, who is now leading in national surveys by more than 30 points.
In a series of primary elections starting in February of next year, Republican voters will choose the candidate who will oppose Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the general election in November 2024.
Twitter Spaces is a platform that enables “creators” to host live audio discussions that other Twitter users can join and participate in.
The event on Wednesday will be moderated by tech entrepreneur David Sacks, a close friend of Tesla founder Elon Musk and a backer of DeSantis.
Musk on Tuesday reposted a tweet from Fox News about the scheduled “interview” about Twitter Spaces to his 140 million followers.
It was not immediately apparent if the two intended to appear together in person or if Elon Musk was only hosting the start of the Floridian’s campaign to provide his support.
Earlier, Musk asserted at a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) event that the occasion will be “the very first time” that such an announcement is made on social media.
He informed the audience that instead of making an endorsement, he wanted to use Twitter as a public town square.
The software tycoon has previously stated that he supports DeSantis in the 2024 election, stating on Twitter in November of last year that his preference is for “someone sensible and centrist.”
DeSantis will make his announcement on the first day of a fundraising retreat in Miami, where his backers will reportedly be briefed regarding the impending campaign.
It will put a stop to months of rumours about when DeSantis will formally declare his candidature.
During his time as governor of Florida, the state’s gun ownership regulations were strengthened, sex and gender identity education was restricted in public schools, and new abortion restrictions were implemented.
In the coming months, he will likely present himself as a successful politician with a long record of conservative policy accomplishments and little of the “daily drama” associated with Trump.
He implied criticism of the former president earlier this month, saying that leading is not about “building a brand or talking on social media.”
Although Trump no longer regularly uses Twitter, his account was reinstated in November after being deleted following the protests at the US Capitol on January 6.
Instead, Trump makes use of his own website, Truth Social, where he routinely attacks DeSantis.
Twitter has a lot more active users than Truth Social, which might provide the DeSantis campaign with a chance for more exposure. It will also offer him access to Musk’s sizable following.
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