According to reporting by Fox News and NBC, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to announce his 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday on a Twitter Space with Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
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Fox and NBC claim that sources familiar with the governor’s plans say DeSantis will host an online discussion on Twitter with Musk and tech entrepreneur David Sacks, in which he will formally declare his candidacy.
The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Musk seemed to confirm the reports by retweeting the breaking news:
The decision to host the event on Twitter with Musk could prove to be a clever strategy, getting the announcement out immediately to Musk’s 140 million Twitter followers.
Hosting the event on Twitter also thwarts legacy media outlets, which have traditionally enjoyed special access to presidential announcements. DeSantis has developed an antagonistic relationship with traditional media nationally and in Florida. By taking his announcement to Twitter, legacy journalists will hear it at the same time as your average Twitter user.
His announcement will come just two weeks after Tucker Carlson revealed he will be bringing his show onto Twitter, fitting a pattern of content creators and politicians opting to bypass corporate media for independent publishing on Musk’s “free speech absolutist” platform.
[RELATED: UPDATE: Tucker Carlson to Join Elon Musk at Twitter]
DeSantis is a top challenger to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, and is the clear runner-up in most primary polls, with a significant lead over the rest of the field.
A rising star in the Republican Party since his election as Florida Governor in 2018, DeSantis has been praised for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, his opposition to mandatory vaccination, and his strong opposition to “woke” ideology being taught in Florida schools.
DeSantis is set to meet with donors this week in Miami, and commence visits to the early primary states following the Memorial Day holiday.
