Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Trump Rival Ron DeSantis To Launch White House Bid Today

Trump Rival Ron DeSantis To Launch White House Bid Today

DeSantis was to kick off his presidential bid during a live Twitter event with Elon Musk, the platform's mercurial owner, a source familiar with the plans told AFP.
Republican Ron DeSantis is to announce his hotly-anticipated challenge to Donald Trump for the party's 2024 White House nomination on Wednesday, touting his ultra-conservative record as governor of Florida as a blueprint for the nation.

DeSantis was to kick off his presidential bid during a live Twitter event with Elon Musk, the platform's mercurial owner, a source familiar with the plans told AFP.

"I will be interviewing Ron DeSantis and he has quite an announcement to make," Musk confirmed on Tuesday, promising the 6 pm (2200 GMT) event on Twitter spaces would be unscripted with "real time questions and answers."

"It's going to be live. Let it rip," Musk told a Wall Street Journal conference.

Long viewed as the most credible challenger to the twice-impeached Trump, DeSantis has used his platform as Florida's chief executive to burnish his conservative credentials, signing off on 80 new state laws this spring, many targeting "woke indoctrination" in schools and other public institutions.

They include a ban on the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, a block on funding for efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at public universities and one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

But the 44-year-old's official launch comes with his ratings in decline despite a slate of right-wing legislative wins in his state.

Lauded as "DeFUTURE" by The New York Post after a landslide reelection last November, DeSantis has seen expectations for a barnstorming campaign sweeping him into the Oval Office lowered in recent months.

A number of policy missteps -- both domestic and on the international stage -- have prompted disquiet about his readiness to take on the former president Trump, with donors worried he may have peaked too soon.

He faces the daunting task of closing an enormous polling gap, with Trump posting leads close to 40 percentage points, despite being indicted on felony financial charges and being found liable for sexual abuse in a New York civil trial.

'Positive alternative'

But DeSantis goes into the campaign with a large cash advantage over his rivals in the pack chasing Trump -- a war chest of potentially more than $100 million -- and buoyed by strong turnout at a series of recent campaign events.

Never Back Down, a super PAC that has acted as the governor's de facto campaign arm before he announced, has a ground operation in most of the early nominating states and is making plans to expand.

Famously allergic to the mainstream media, DeSantis had been reaching out to the traditional national press and local reporters on campaign stops -- though he will be sidestepping the press by making his big announcement on social media with Musk.

Behind the scenes, the Trump and DeSantis camps have been jostling to secure political endorsements from state lawmakers while, at the national level, Florida's congressional delegation has broken heavily for Trump.

DeSantis has largely refrained from retaliating amid a near-daily barrage of attacks from Trump on his record, character and fitness for office, making clear that, for now at least, he would rather avoid a bitter fight with the former president's most ardent supporters.

DeSantis has also been criticized for lacking the personal touch that Trump's supporters say is one of the former president's biggest assets.

But the former naval officer and congressman has been redoubling his efforts more recently to stay behind after speaking engagements to press flesh, sign autographs and have his picture taken with supporters.

The father-of-three has also been sharing the spotlight with his wife, Casey DeSantis, deployed to take the edges off her husband's aloof, standoffish image by talking up his qualities as a family man.

DeSantis has spent months preparing the ground for his White House bid, criss-crossing the country to promote his memoir, "The Courage to be Free," and making multiple stops in states seen as influential in the Republican primary contest, including Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

"If we make 2024 a referendum on Joe Biden and his failures and we provide a positive alternative for the future of this country, Republicans will win across the board," DeSantis said during a visit this month to Sioux Center, Iowa.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×