Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday in a live Twitter voice conversation with Elon Musk, the platform’s polarizing owner, that the 2024 presidential election will take place, according to people familiar with his plans. He plans to announce the start of the movement.
While it was widely expected that DeSantis would run in the Republican primary against former President Donald J. Trump, his decision to run in the Republican primary with Musk added an element of surprise, with DeSantis appearing a lot online. will be accessible to an audience of NBC News first reported the plan.
The event on Twitter Space, scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, poses some risk to what is expected to be a carefully scripted development, with DeSantis’ first impressions of the presidential nominee being mixed with Musk. make sure they match. He is an eccentric businessman who was once ranked among the richest people in the world.
One of DeSantis’ challenges going into the 2024 election will be competing for attention with Trump, who has displayed a talent that has been in the spotlight for decades. Trump aides have hinted for months that he plans to return to Twitter sooner or later.Mr. Mask already unbanned Against the former president imposed when Twitter was a publicly traded company.
In addition to the Twitter event, DeSantis will appear on Fox News Wednesday night and appear in an interview with former South Carolina Congressman Trey Gordy. according to the network. The governor also began fundraising for the campaign by collecting donors at the Four Seasons in Miami on Wednesday.
Trump-backed Super PACs ridiculed the plan.
“This is one of the most outrageous campaign launches in modern history,” said Caroline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the pro-Trump Make America Great Again group. “The only thing less relatable than launching a niche campaign on Twitter is DeSantis’ afterparty at Miami’s ultra-elite Four Seasons resort,” she said.
Mr Musk said: Event with The Wall Street Journal On Tuesday, he said he would not formally endorse Mr. DeSantis or any other Republican. On Monday, he retweeted the following video. Senator Tim Scott’s Presidential Kickoff Event Another Republican candidate from South Carolina.
Under Musk, Twitter has cultivated a more Republican audience. this month, Tucker Carlsonthe fired former Fox News star announced on Twitter that he will host a popular show.
DeSantis’ event with Musk will be hosted by David Sachs, a Republican donor, governor supporter and close to Musk. Sachs, a tech entrepreneur and investor, donated $50,000 to DeSantis’ state political committee ahead of his re-election, according to campaign finance records. He spoke positively about the governor’s response to Florida’s coronavirus pandemic. Sachs: ‘He was the first governor to end this insane lockdown’ Said It will air on Bloomberg TV in 2021. “I respect that.”
In choosing Spaces, DeSantis relies on audio-only streaming tools that have a history of bugs and failures. Musk has been using this feature regularly in the six months since he joined the company. Acquired Twitter for $44 billion In October, he appeared on Spaces, where he spoke about the state of various businesses and gave interviews to an audience of tens of thousands.
Musk said he voted for President Biden in the 2020 election, but has since criticized the administration for its cold relationship with him and his electric-car company Tesla. The billionaire said it was difficult for Mr. Biden to stay in touch with voters now that he is 80.
When asked about Mr Biden, CNBC interview Mr. Musk said last week that he just wants “ordinary people” to lead the country.
“It’s not just a matter of whether they share your beliefs,” he said. “But are they good at getting things done?”
Musk, who describes himself as a moderate and has previously donated relatively small amounts to both Republicans and Democrats, has shifted his support to the right in recent years. On Twitter, she has endorsed and shared right-wing conspiracy theories, including the October attack on former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi.
Mr. Musk has expressed his support for Mr. DeSantis, and last July the governor of Florida tweeted:win easilyIf you play against Mr. Biden in 2024.and in November he answered affirmatively When one Twitter user asked if he would endorse Mr. DeSantis in that year’s election.
When Mr. DeSantis was asked about Mr. Musk’s potential support last summer, the governor of Florida replied: cracked: “We welcome support from African Americans. What can I say?” (Mr. Musk is white and from South Africa.)
In Florida, Mr. DeSantis has supported legislation aimed at protecting people from what he called “the Silicon Valley elite.” He also criticized efforts by tech companies to remove misinformation from their platforms, likening it to attacks on free speech and truth in concert with government officials.
“Whether it’s those attacking the coronavirus lockdowns or questioning the efficacy of masks and school closures, the executive state is colluding with Big Tech to censor truthful information. “You’ve seen it,” DeSantis said. Said In a speech given at the Conservative Heritage Foundation in April, he said: “There have been efforts by big tech companies to do collectively things that governments can never be allowed to do directly.”
