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BREAKING DeSantis Launching Presidential Run Wednesday In Event With
Elon Musk, Report Says Brian Bushard Forbes Staff I cover breaking news for Forbes Following May 23, 2023, 02:36pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Updated May 23, 2023, 03:29pm EDT Share to
Facebook Share to
Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline After months of speculation,
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will announce his 2024 presidential campaign on an online Twitter Spaces forum Wednesday afternoon,
NBC News reported Tuesday, launching a bid to take on his one-time ally, former President
Donald Trump. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will reportedly announce his 2024 presidential campaign on Twitter ... [+] Wednesday night. Getty Images Key Facts DeSantis plans to announce his presidential bid in a conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, and will release an official campaign video later Wednesday night, anonymous sources told NBC News . DeSantis, who is slumping in hypothetical 2024 primary polls to Trump, would become the latest GOP official to seek the GOP nomination, following former South Carolina Gov.
Nikki Haley and Sen. Rick Scott (R-S.C.). What To Watch For More GOP presidential candidates. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) is rumored to be planning a presidential bid, after he launched a fundraising group earlier this month, and told CBS News three weeks ago he plans to make a decision “in the next month or so.” Former Vice President
Mike Pence is also rumored to challenge his former running mate in the 2024 GOP primaries and is backed by the super PAC “Committed to America.” Among other speculated candidates are North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Contra Despite DeSantis’ rise into the national spotlight, the two-term Florida governor has come under
fire from
Democrats and some
Republicans in recent months amid a political battle with Disney, one of the state’s largest employers. The feud began after
Disney criticized DeSantis over the state’s controversial so-called Don’t Say Gay law (Florida lawmakers expanded the law earlier this month, prohibiting public school teachers from instructing on gender identity or sexual orientation through eighth grade). In response, state lawmakers wrested control of a special district that handles local governance in Walt Disney World, and the new DeSantis-appointed district board canceled a last-minute development agreement with Disney signed before the company lost control, leading Disney to sue DeSantis. In a momentous move last week, Disney nixed its nearly $1 billion project for corporate offices in Florida, a massive project that would have brought roughly 2,000 jobs to the sunshine state. Trump slammed DeSantis for “single-handedly” costing Florida the massive investment and losing thousands of jobs, claiming DeSantis—his one-time ally—is “too weak to fight for his state.” Surprising Fact A Trump-aligned super PAC has also gone after DeSantis in a series of attack ads, including a disturbing TV ad mocking DeSantis for allegedly devouring a chocolate pudding cup using his fingers. Another ad from MAGA Inc. PAC accuses DeSantis of planning to raise taxes if elected, nicknaming him “Ron DeSalesTax” (Trump typically defaults to the nicknames “Ron “DeSanctimonious” and “Ron DeSanctus” in speeches and on his
Social Media platform Truth Social). Further Reading 2024 GOP Presidential Contenders: South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott Announces His Candidacy (Forbes) DeSantis Doubles Down On War With Disney: ‘Zero’ Chance State Will Back Down After Cancellation Of $1 Billion Project (Forbes) Send me a secure tip . Brian Bushard Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions