Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to announce his presidential candidacy on Wednesday—on Twitter.
Key Details
- DeSantis will reportedly formally declare his run for president on Wednesday night at 6 pm during a Twitter Space discussion with CEO Elon Musk, followed by an interview with Trey Gowdy on Fox News Tonight, Fox News reports.
- DeSantis at one point was considered a frontrunner in the 2024 Presidential Election against former President Donald Trump, who formally announced his candidacy on November 15.
- He joins a crowded field of declared Republican candidates, including Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ryan Binkley, Larry Elder, Asa Hutchinson, and Perry Johnson.
Why it’s Important
The 2024 election cycle is beginning to ramp up, with the two largest expected candidates having already declared. DeSantis is one of the most popular governors in the U.S., having been overwhelmingly reelected in the 2022 election—59.4% to 40%. He has developed a national fanbase for his aggressive campaigns against DEI, ESG, and wokeness in Florida.
Much is at stake in the upcoming election. President Joe Biden declared on April 25 that he intends to “finish this job” and continue advancing his policies in a second term through January 2029. The winner of the November 2024 election will have a say in the fate of ongoing efforts to change climate change policies and business policies, address the changing culture surrounding LGBTQ+ and racial issues, and potentially set the new direction for the country going forward.
DeSantis still faces an uphill battle for the presidency. A recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found Trump holds a 58% to 16% lead over DeSantis, a reversal from DeSantis’s December lead of 52% to 38%, according to The Wall Street Journal.
President Trump saw a significant bump in approval following his March 30 criminal indictment and May 10 libel lawsuit, which has enflamed his loyal base of supporters and seen his approval numbers skyrocket. His subsequent CNN Townhall on May 11 saw many of his core supporters applauding his appearance on mainstream media, receiving condemnation from the media for uncouth comments and questionable factional claims. The broadcast drew 3.3 million viewers.
The January 22 Iowa Caucuses are still eight months away, and much could happen, including updates to Trump’s indictment, an economic recession, and presidential debates. Several other major Republicans—including Chris Christie, Mike Pence, and Greg Abbott—could additionally throw their hats into the ring, potentially diluting DeSantis’s chances of nomination if too many candidates compete against Trump’s loyal fanbase.
As we previously reported, Trump currently outleads DeSantis and Haley in campaign spending, attempting to take advantage of the momentum from his indictment to gain an early lead in the race.
