Breitbart News has learned from multiple sources that Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis plans to declare his candidacy for president in 2024 during a Twitter exchange with Elon Musk on Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
After months of rumors, a Fox News story on Wednesday confirmed the governor’s intention to formally enter the 2024 presidential election. According to the source, DeSantis will also formally submit paperwork to the Federal Election Commission.
Casey DeSantis, the governor’s wife, also posted a link to the Fox News piece with the comment, “Big if true…”
Months of anticipation have led up to this declaration, as the governor has been playing coy about his political ambitions despite repeated questions from the media. Speculation had it that the governor would wait until after the May 5 end of the legislative session in Florida before making any announcements. In the weeks that followed, DeSantis signed a slew of bills targeting the indoctrination of minors with “woke” transgender ideology, as well as bills to crack down on illegal immigration and do away with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in universities.
The announcement on Wednesday comes months after Trump launched a series of preemptive assaults on the governor, which DeSantis has declined to fully address, sometimes failing to speak of the former president by name despite their once friendly relationship. As a result, Trump now calls the governor Ron “DeSanctimonious” and calls him “unelectable” and a “liddle'” lightweight.
In front of a large crowd at his Mar-a-Lago estate in November, Trump famously declared his candidacy for president. The pro-Trump super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. accused DeSantis of engaging in “illegal conduct” and months later filed an ethics complaint against the governor, alleging that he was running a “shadow presidential campaign.”
“Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis,” a Trump adviser said to Breitbart News. This way, neither the public nor the press will have to deal with him.
DeSantis has been touring the country to promote his “Florida Blueprint,” and he has already made two trips to the early primary state of New Hampshire prior to making this statement.
DeSantis has criticized a recent Morning Consult survey that showed Trump with a 38-point lead in the 2024 Republican primary.
When asked about Trump’s preeminence last month, DeSantis responded, “I’m not a candidate, so we’ll see if and when that changes.”