DeSantis 2024 Announcement: Florida Governor Laments ‘Corporate Journalists’ And ‘Elites’ In Talk With Elon Musk

Forbes Business Breaking DeSantis 2024 Announcement: Florida Governor Laments ‘Corporate Journalists’ And ‘Elites’ In Talk With Elon Musk Sara Dorn Forbes Staff Politics Following May 24, 2023, 07:09pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! 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 against former President Donald Trump that is likely to center on his war against what he calls “woke” culture. 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. “Now, you know, candidates for president can just speak directly to people through platforms like Twitter,” DeSantis said during the announcement, which was hosted by tech entrepreneur and DeSantis supporter David Sacks.

DeSantis’ announcement was plagued by malfunctions on Twitter Spaces Wednesday that prevented him from speaking for more than 20 minutes, a series of problems Musk blamed on the “massive” audience. What To Watch For Fox News’ Trey Gowdy will interview DeSantis at 8 p. m.

ET Wednesday. Surprising Fact Musk, who suggested in November he would back DeSantis if he ran for president, also expressed support for Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.

C. )’s presidential bid this week in a pair of tweets after Scott declared his candidacy on Friday. Scott is one of six GOP candidates, along with DeSantis, to announce challenges to Trump.

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. Tangent 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 Wednesday. 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.

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 . Sara Dorn Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.