DeSantis 2024 Announcement: Blasts ‘Corporate Journalists’ And ‘Elites’—But Not Trump—In Talk With Elon Musk

Forbes Business Breaking DeSantis 2024 Announcement: Blasts Biden And ‘Elites’—But Not Trump Sara Dorn Forbes Staff Politics Following May 24, 2023, 08:16pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Updated May 24, 2023, 08:46pm EDT Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted “legacy media” and claimed “elites” have become “hysterical,” as he launched his 2024 presidential campaign in a glitch-plagued live stream on Twitter—setting the stage for a campaign that is likely to center on his war against what he calls “woke” culture as he runs to the right of former President Donald Trump, who he did not mention during the hour-long conversation. Florida Gov.

Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Feb. 24, . .

. [+] 2022, in Orlando, Fla. DeSantis launched his 2024 campaign for president on May 24, 2023.

(AP Photo/John Raoux, File) Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Key Facts DeSantis said “legacy media” and “corporate journalists” have hijacked the national conversation from their “little bubble,” and credited Twitter with “[exposing] people to different viewpoints”—lauding new Twitter owner Elon Musk, who participated in the campaign announcement, for his controversial efforts to loosen content moderation policies. The announcement was hosted by tech entrepreneur and DeSantis supporter David Sacks and featured questions from Stanford medical professor Jayanta Bhattacharya, DeSantis-backing Rep.

Tom Massie (R-Ky. ), conservative radio show host Steve Deace and conservative activist Chris Rufo, among others. DeSantis did not directly mention former President Donald Trump throughout the conversation.

The governor defended his war with Disney in response to a question from Sacks about the company canceling a $1 billion development in Orlando, blaming his efforts to rein in Disney’s power on its opposition to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law: “Disney obviously supported injecting gender ideology in elementary school . . .

and that’s not appropriate. ” DeSantis also called for a “major overhaul” of the public health system and an “honest reckoning about what happened during COVID,” arguing “all of the elites, the public health establishment . .

. failed. ” Speaking about book bans—a right-wing effort that largely centers on limiting literature on LGBTQ issues, race and racism in schools—DeSantis claimed “there’s not been a single book banned in the state of Florida,” though individual school districts in Florida have removed a number of books after DeSantis signed several laws restricting classroom instruction, including a ban on teaching critical race theory.

DeSantis directly attacked President Joe Biden on immigration, telling Sacks he “should not be entertaining these asylum claims,” an apparent reference to the end of Covid-19-era Title 42 restrictions earlier this month that allowed border agents to turn migrants away without the chance to seek asylum, adding that he would resume construction of the border wall. Tangent In a subsequent interview on Fox News late Wednesday, DeSantis upped his attacks on Biden on immigration, energy policy and other issues. He also told host Trey Gowdy “we got to dispense with this culture of losing,” a statement that could be interpreted as a veiled dig at Trump, who was widely criticized by prominent Republicans for losses of his preferred candidates in key GOP midterm races.

Vowing to win the general election if he’s chosen as the party’s nominee, DeSantis said he can win votes in swing states and “deliver results,” repeating a frequent talking point about his track record in Florida. When asked about the Russia-Ukraine war—a topic that landed DeSantis in hot water after he appeared to downplay the conflict—DeSantis initially side-stepped the question by lamenting what he called a “woke military,” before telling Gowdy he wants an end to the conflict, rather than a “wider war. ” In another indirect swipe at Trump, who reportedly plans to sit out at least one of the first two presidential debates, DeSantis said “I think we should debate,” when asked whether he would participate.

“Nobody’s entitled to anything in this world . . .

you got to earn it. ” Surprising Fact DeSantis’ announcement was plagued by malfunctions on Twitter Spaces that prevented him from speaking for more than 20 minutes, a series of problems Musk blamed on the “massive” audience. The decision to announce a presidential run on the platform aligns with Musk’s shift to the right and adds to speculation that he will endorse DeSantis, but Musk reportedly said Tuesday he doesn’t plan to support any particular candidate.

Chief Critic Trump has launched near-daily attacks on DeSantis in the weeks leading up to the race, billing him as “disloyal” after Trump’s endorsement in his 2018 gubernatorial race was widely viewed as a major boost to the then-Congressman. In recent weeks, Trump and his allies have attacked DeSantis’ policy decisions during his time in Congress, including his support for Medicare and Social Security reform and a national sales tax to replace most other federal taxes. In January, Trump coined the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” to refer to his former ally and as his attacks on DeSantis have grown, so has Trump’s lead in polls.

In December, some surveys found DeSantis beating Trump in a hypothetical GOP primary matchup, but as of Wednesday, DeSantis trailed Trump by 34 points, according to FiveThirtyEight’s poll tracker . Key Background The Florida governor filed candidacy paperwork with the Federal Election Commission earlier Wednesday, and announced his campaign in a video where he declared “I’m running for president to lead our great American comeback. ” DeSantis, 44, a former Navy lawyer and Iraq war veteran, was elected to represent Florida’s 6th congressional district covering the East Coast from Jacksonville to New Smyrna in 2012.

A founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, DeSantis went on to win Florida’s GOP gubernatorial primary election in 2018, beating then-state Agriculture Commissioner David Putnam, 56% to 37% and winning the general election against Democrat Andrew Gillum by a slim margin. As governor, DeSantis rose to national prominence by loosening Covid-19 restrictions before many other states, making Florida a safe haven for those looking to escape lockdowns—and a target of criticism. Between 2021 and 2022, Florida was the fastest-growing state by population for the first time since 1957, according to the U.

S. Census Bureau. He boosted his conservative record as governor by spearheading a slew of legislation aimed at rolling back what he regularly refers to as “woke” policies backed by the left, loosening concealed carry restrictions, rolling back LGBTQ and diversity inclusion policies in schools and signing a six-week abortion ban, initiatives that earned him the nickname “America’s Governor” among the right.

What To Watch For DeSantis is expected to use his track record in Florida to campaign to the right of Trump—a strategy the pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, showcased in an ad Wednesday that cast the U. S. as a nation in decline under President Joe Biden and weighed heavily on DeSantis’ early efforts to rid of Covid-19 restrictions.

Never Back Down, which is staffed with former Trump allies, will pour $100 million into a voter outreach campaign expected to kick off Wednesday in the early primary state of New Hampshire with a door-knocking blitz, the New York Times reported . As for his strategy in countering Trump, DeSantis will stick to his playbook of largely ignoring the ex-president to avoid deterring Trump’s voter base, NBC News reported Tuesday, citing DeSantis advisors. Contra After a decisive re-election victory in November, when DeSantis became the first GOP gubernatorial candidate to win Miami-Dade County since 2002, he endured a series of political blows in the following months.

Disney sued DeSantis and the state after he took control of the board that oversees its special district, stacked it with his political allies and curtailed the company’s power. Amid the feud, Disney announced it was pulling a $1 billion development project for Orlando that was expected to generate 2,000 new jobs for the state. A coalition of prominent Republicans, including former New Jersey Gov.

Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence, also widely rebuked DeSantis for suggesting the Russia-Ukraine war was a territorial dispute, comments he later watered down. Further Reading DeSantis’ 2024 Announcement Delayed By Twitter Glitches (Forbes) DeSantis Launching Presidential Run Wednesday In Event With Elon Musk (Forbes) DeSantis Formally Enters 2024 Presidential Race (Forbes) From ‘Brilliant’ To ‘Disloyal’: How Trump Has Turned On DeSantis Ahead Of 2024 Battle (Forbes) Follow me on Twitter . Send me a secure tip .

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