Ron DeSantis jumps into 2024 White House election as Trump’s biggest threat

WASHINGTON: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday (May 24) that he will seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, setting up a showdown with former ally and former President Donald Trump. He said it would shake up the house fight.

DeSantis made the video announcement ahead of an audio interview on Twitter with CEO Elon Musk.

“We need the courage to lead and the strength to win,” DeSantis said. “My name is Ron DeSantis and I am running for president to lead America’s great comeback.”

DeSantis, 44, has quickly become Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican nomination, thanks to his national profile and the promise of ample financial resources.

But polls show Trump trails the Florida governor, who has long been seen as a rising Republican and a trailblazer for the party’s new generation of leaders, by more than two to one. Trump’s announcement in November also gave him a head start in organizing his campaign in key early-voting states.

Supporters and donors will be watching to see if DeSantis will take on Trump this time. Mr. Trump has been relentless in attacking Mr. Trump with little response, frustrated by some of Mr. DeSantis’s allies who wanted him to respond more forcefully.

Musk, CEO of Tesla and Twitter, who has 140 million Twitter followers, previously said his attendance at Wednesday’s event did not signify his endorsement, but his desire to make the service more of a city square. said to reflect the

DeSantis will convene a major donors meeting at a Miami hotel on Wednesday, where he plans to begin fundraising immediately.

DeSantis’ main claim to the candidacy is perhaps that he is the only Republican who can defeat Democratic President Joe Biden, who beat Trump in the 2020 election.

Mainstream Republicans will be watching closely to see if DeSantis can bounce back from his foreign policy missteps, including his initial reluctance to voice support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

DeSantis traveled the country in the weeks leading up to the presidential election, visiting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, where early nomination races are being held. He has boasted of his accomplishments as governor of Florida, including his fight with the federal government over pandemic policy.

Mr. DeSantis and his advisers were determined to wait until the Florida legislature could hand him a string of policy wins before they entered the race, and lawmakers did just that.

Strictly restrict abortion in the state, make it easier for residents to conceal weapons, expand voucher programs that allow students to attend private schools, and fund diversity programs at public universities. I signed a bill to abolish it.

DeSantis continues to have a bitter feud with Walt Disney Over the company’s criticism of laws banning the teaching of gender identity concepts in public schools. The company filed a federal lawsuit alleging that DeSantis weaponized state governments to punish its business.

Other declared Republican candidates include former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.