Florida governor Ron DeSantis officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential primary on Wednesday, May 24th, during a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk.[0] However, the event was marred by technical difficulties and a dwindling audience, which opened the door for criticism from both sides of the political aisle.[1] Due to technical difficulties, Musk had to commence the event from an alternative account, resulting in only approximately 250,000 individuals tuning in to witness DeSantis’ significant announcement.[1] This has led political experts to say that DeSantis will need to bounce back if he has any hope of besting former President Donald Trump – who ridiculed the tech fiasco – for the 2024 GOP nomination.[1]
DeSantis, who is often looked at as Trump-lite, played up his record as leader of The Sunshine State, stating, “our results… have been second to none.”[2] Afterwards, he shifted his focus towards the need for conservatives to put a stop to the prevalent culture of defeat that has taken hold of the Republican Party in recent times.[2] However, DeSantis’ priorities, personality, and way of going about business have increasingly been called into question by his own party.[3] Among these skeptics is Congressman Greg Steube, who chose to endorse Trump the day before DeSantis visited Washington, D.C. to meet with GOP members of Congress last month.[3]
Under DeSantis’ leadership, Florida has become known for its bitter conflicts, even though it was once considered a bellwether for American politics. However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, the state seems to be heading towards a more conservative stance.[4] In certain circles, he gained popularity due to his disdain towards policies requiring vaccines and masks.[4] Last year, he effortlessly won re-election against an unimpressive Democratic opponent by presenting himself as a less incriminated version of his former supporter, Trump.[4] DeSantis’ stance against what he calls “wokeness” at Walt Disney World, his restriction on educators’ teachings about American racism, and his control over certain schools have garnered him significant admiration among a faction of Republican voters, positioning him as a hero.[4] His opponents view his campaign against abortion rights as extreme, and his reluctance to embrace transparency as a sign of authoritarianism.[4]
DeSantis’ campaign announcement also drew the attention of President Biden’s team, who took a shot at his glitchy launch, tweeting out a campaign donation page along with the message “This link works.” Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is also a candidate for the GOP nomination, took a comparable stance by sharing a tweet that said, “This link functions just like my policies,” and included a hyperlink to his donation page.[5] When DeSantis’ Twitter Spaces feed was down, Biden’s personal account made a move by posting a link to the Biden campaign’s donation page with a message that read, “This link is functional.” Biden, the Democratic president running for re-election, seized on the chaos to post a mocking tweet, directing to a fundraising page with the words: “This link works.”
In the past, DeSantis has been compared to Trump, and their similarities have led some to believe that DeSantis has a good chance of winning the GOP nomination. However, the technical difficulties during his campaign announcement have led to criticism from both sides of the political aisle, and it remains to be seen how DeSantis will respond to this setback. With the 2024 election still a few years away, there is plenty of time for DeSantis to regroup and rally his supporters. However, the road to the White House is a long and difficult one, and DeSantis will have to work hard to overcome the obstacles that lie ahead.
0. “5 Takeaways From DeSantis’s 2024 Announcement With Elon Musk” New York Magazine, 25 May. 2023, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/05/5-takeaways-from-desantiss-2024-announcement-with-elon-musk.html
1. “5 things to know for May 25: Ron DeSantis, Russia, Debt limit, January 6, Florida” CNN, 25 May. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/us/five-things-may-25-trnd/index.html
2. “DeSantis Twitter glitch: What to know about the the 2024 announcement” USA TODAY, 25 May. 2023, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/25/desantis-twitter-glitch-5-takeaways-presidential-launch/70256451007
3. “Exclusive: DeSantis’ Disney Feud Will Backfire in 2024, Key Florida Republican Says” Newsweek, 25 May. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/exclusive-desantis-disney-feud-will-backfire-2024-florida-republican-1802504
4. “Ron DeSantis Twitter Launch Signals Culture-War Campaign” TIME, 24 May. 2023, https://time.com/6282255/ron-desantis-elon-musk-campaign-culture-war/
5. “DeSantis campaign launch escalates extremely online war with Trump” Yahoo News, 25 May. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/desantis-campaign-launch-escalates-extremely-online-war-with-trump-175837086.html
