MIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday with firm words but a disastrous Twitter announcement that did little to counter criticism that the 44-year-old Republican may not be ready to take on former President Donald Trump.
While he tried to project confidence, DeSantis' unusual decision to announce his campaign in an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk ultimately backfired. The audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the new presidential candidate in real time.
"American decline is not inevitable, it is a choice. And we should choose a new direction — a path that will lead to American revitalization," DeSantis said on the glitchy stream, racing through his conservative accomplishments. "I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback."
People are also reading…
While his critics in both parties delighted in the rocky start, DeSantis' announcement marks a new chapter in his rise to a leading figure in the nation's bitter fights over race, gender, abortion and other divisive issues.
He enters the race looking up at Trump in early polls while facing serious questions about his far-right policies, campaign-trail personality and lack of relationships across the Republican ecosystem. He has generated significant interest among GOP primary voters by casting himself as a younger and more electable version of the 76-year-old former president.
The ultimate Republican nominee is expected to face Democratic President Joe Biden on the general election ballot in November 2024.
DeSantis joins a field that also includes former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
The governor has been courting primary voters in key states for much of the year and using an allied super political action committee to build a large political organization that claims at least $30 million in the bank.
In choosing Twitter on Wednesday evening, DeSantis tried to take a page out of the playbook that helped turn Trump into a political star.
It did not go as planned.
The online event started off with technical glitches that Musk said were due to "straining" servers because so many people were trying to listen to the audio-only event. More than 20 minutes passed beyond the scheduled start time with users getting kicked off, hearing microphone feedback, hold music and other technical problems.
The lead strategist for Haley’s super PAC, Mark Harris, was merciless: “Failed soft launch? Check. Failed announcement? Double check. We look forward to Ron DeSantis’ failed campaign.”
“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump wrote on his social media site. “Is the DeSantis launch FATAL? Yes!”
Still, DeSantis' campaign said it raised $1 million online in the first hour after the announcement.
“We had a huge audience," DeSantis said in a subsequent interview on Fox News when asked about the technical difficulties. "It was the biggest they ever had. It did break the Twitter space. We’re really excited about the enthusiasm.”
DeSantis, who likely would not have become the Florida governor without Trump's endorsement, adopted the former president's fiery personality, populist policies and even some of his rhetoric and mannerisms.
Yet he may be more electable than Trump, who faces multiple legal threats and presided over Republican losses in three consecutive national elections.
DeSantis six months ago won his reelection in Florida by 19 percentage points — even as Republicans in other states struggled.
Trump and his team believe DeSantis may be Trump's only legitimate threat for the nomination, and Trump focused on undermining his political appeal for months.
DeSantis has avoided unscripted public appearances and media scrutiny while governor, which is difficult as a presidential contender. Allies acknowledge most primary voters in other states don't know him well.
If they were paying attention on Wednesday, they might not have gotten a good impression. The Florida governor spent most of the day in private. He met with donors at a luxury hotel in Miami before trying to address the public for the first time on Twitter.
Would-be supporters also worry that DeSantis has refused to invest in relationships with party leaders or fellow elected officials, raising questions about his ability to build the coalition he would ultimately need to beat Trump.
DeSantis' greatest longer-term challenge may rest with the far-right policies he enacted as governor as an unapologetic leader in what he calls his "war on woke."
"We will never surrender to the woke mob and we will leave woke ideology in the dustbin of history," he said once the Twitter stream started working.
He signed and then expanded the Parental Rights in Education bill — known by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" law, which bans instruction or classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in Florida public schools for all grades. He signed a law banning abortions at six weeks.
His highest-profile political fight has come against the Florida entertainment giant Disney, which publicly opposed his "Don't Say Gay" law. In retaliation, DeSantis seized control of Disney World's governing body and installed loyalists who are threatening to take over park planning, among other extraordinary measures.
DeSantis' office announced Wednesday that he signed a broad election law that contains a provision allowing him to run for president without resigning as governor.
