Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is preparing to launch his 2024 Republican and presidential candidacy campaign Wednesday night during a live Twitter interview with Elon Musk. The event, which will take place on Twitter Space at 6 p.m. Eastern Time (1 a.m. PT), will be streamed in real time with a feature at the top of the feed.
Musk told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that he would not endorse any candidate "as of now." Musk voted for Biden in 2020 and described himself as a "centrist," but last year said he would support conservative Republican DeSantis if he decided to enter the race for the White House.
Musk said DeSantis' decision to announce his candidacy on the social network was "groundbreaking," adding that it would not be the last political event Twitter hosts. Asked if he planned to interview other candidates, mostly Democrats, Musk replied, "Absolutely."
"It's important for Twitter to be seen as a place where all voices can be heard. This will be the first time something like this has happened on a social network with real-time Q&A. Let's see what happens," Musk said.
Ron DeSantis and his family (Photo: official website, Twitter)
DeSantis, for his part, bypasses more traditional ways of launching a campaign, such as a rally, an extensive television interview or a video, as President Joe Biden recently did. His choice of Twitter as the place to announce his candidacy reflects the way DeSantis might run his campaign, as well as the type of supporters he wants to attract.
DeSantis' appearance on Twitter Space will give him access to Musk's massive fan base. Most conservatives are sympathetic to the billionaire entrepreneur because, after buying Twitter, Musk began using it to promote conservative voices. DeSantis is trying to show that he stands with Musk and Twitter while aligning himself with the far-right conservatism that has plagued the networks since Trump was elected president in 2016.
Another reason for DeSantis' unusual decision could be sticking a finger in the eye of his biggest political rival — Trump — and signaling that the Florida governor will not surrender to him even on the virtual battlefield. Twitter suspended Trump's account after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and the former president was forced to set up his own social network, called Trot Social, to post his angry posts. Musk may have lifted his boycott of Trump after buying Twitter, but the former president has yet to use it again.
In addition, Twitter has a huge number of active users, a golden opportunity for DeSantis to reach a wider and younger audience.
I won't say who he will support. Elon Musk (Photo: GettyImages)
Musk, for his part, wants to see major events broadcast in real time on Twitter. He is primarily interested in the Twitter Space platform, where millions of people can connect to a real-time interview.
The advantage of DeSantis' appearance on his platform is increasing Twitter's visibility at a time when the company is experiencing difficulties. The social network has struggled since Musk took over, laid off 50% of employees and launched new projects despite losses in profits. In the months since the acquisition, advertisers have fled Twitter, and lawsuits have been filed against the company for non-payment of rent in several office spaces around the world. Twitter's infrastructure is also struggling due to staff cuts and numerous power outages.
Musk is therefore courting other revenue streams and appealing to conservatives to do so. Earlier this month, fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson said he would resume his popular show on Twitter.
Donald Trump announced his candidacy at the rally (Photo: Reuters)
President Joe Biden announced his candidacy in a video (Photo: Shutterstock)
DeSantis also chose to woo this constituency in order to strengthen his standing among the Republican base, which is a Trump follower. He passed several laws this year to appease the far right, such as restrictions on abortion, gender-matching treatments for minors and sexual orientation education in schools. In addition, DeSantis expanded the death penalty and legalized the possession of concealed weapons in public — and the highlight: DeSantis is waging a personal war against America's favorite company: Disney.
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