What time and how to listen to Ron DeSantis presidential announcement on Twitter Spaces
Tesla CEO has previously spoken of his admiration for Florida governor
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ron DeSantis has launched his 2024 presidential campaign during a Twitter chat with Elon Musk.
The Florida governor, who is seen as the leading rival to Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, kicked off his bid for the White House during a Wednesday night Twitter Spaces event with the billionaire.
The Twitter Spaces event started at 6pm ET and was moderated by tech entrepreneur David Sacks, who is a supporter of Mr DeSantis and a close business adviser to Mr Musk. However, shortly after the event began it was plagued by tech issues and dropped audio.
Following the event, Mr DeSantis’ campaign will also release a video about his attempt to beat Mr Trump, and he will begin visiting key states after Memorial Day on 29 May.
Mr Musk has previously talked about his admiration for Mr DeSantis and said that he would support him if he ran for president.
Ron DeSantis news – live: Governor to announce 2024 run in live Twitter event with Elon Musk on Wednesday
Ron DeSantis boasts about ‘quarter century’ of 7-2 conservative Supreme Court majority if he wins in 2024
DeSantis v Disney: Why Florida’s governor is at war with the Mouse
Ron DeSantis teases 2024 bid as he makes subtle dig at Trump and vows to ‘protect faith and family’
Trump slams Fox News’ Laura Ingraham over ‘hit piece’ saying DeSantis would do better against Biden than him
It is unclear if Mr Musk, who has 140 million Twitter followers, will formally endorse Mr DeSantis at the event.
The far-right governor’s team has been in talks with the Tesla CEO for several weeks, a source familiar with the discussions told NBC News.
And during those talks, Mr Musk reportedly told them that he does not believe Donald Trump, who leads all polls for the GOP nomination, can beat Joe Biden and take back the White House.
“He’s interested in the future, and he’s interested in winning again,” the source told the outlet.
The Independent did not receive a response when it asked Twitter for comment.
On Monday, Mr DeSantis, 44, teased his 2024 bid while speaking at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando in which he outlined his vision for a conservative grip on the Supreme Court to last a quarter of a century.
In what appeared to be a subtle swipe at Donald Trump he announced his plans to run for eight years – something Mr Trump cannot do.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments