Florida Governor DeSantis to enter 2024 race in Twitter event with Musk

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose scorched-earth battles over pandemic lockdowns and divisive cultural issues have endeared him to conservatives, will announce on May 24 he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, placing him on a collision course with former President Donald Trump.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose scorched-earth battles over pandemic lockdowns and divisive cultural issues have endeared him to conservatives, will announce on May 24 he is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, placing him on a collision course with former President Donald Trump.

Mr. DeSantis will make the announcement on Twitter during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, his political team confirmed. At the same time, he will file a document with the Federal Election Commission declaring his candidacy.

NBC first reported the planned announcement.

Mr. DeSantis was re-elected handily to a second term in November. His rising profile among Republicans and fundraising prowess likely make him the biggest threat to Mr. Trump’s hopes of becoming the Republican nominee for the White House again.

The two men were close allies during Trump’s four years in the White House— Mr. Trump endorsed him during his first campaign for governor— but Mr. DeSantis has since forged his own political identity. At 44 he may represent the future of the party more than does the 76-year-old Mr. Trump.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. DeSantis became the national face of resistance to mask and vaccine mandates and has been a virulent critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who headed the government’s COVID-19 response in both the Trump and Biden administrations.

In stump speeches, he has argued his policies made possible Florida’s economic recovery from the pandemic, turning the State into a magnet for hundreds of thousands of new residents. Florida has consistently outpaced the country in job growth over the last two years.