Adam Beam SUTV News
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has formally announced his plans to run for President of the United States ahead of his conversation with Elon Musk.
The announcement was made during a Federal Election Commission filing on Wednesday. Originally, it was announced that the 44-year-old Republican would do an audio-only announcement via Twitter. While the Twitter announcement is still set to occur Wednesday evening, DeSantis is expected to quickly appear on several conservative programs in the following hours.
DeSantis is now one of the many names throwing their hats into the ring for the GOP nomination. Obviously, former President Donald Trump is looking to be his biggest rival on the campaign trail, but there are several other names that could overshadow the two-term congressman. Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and Asa Hutchinson are just some of the names that would stand in DeSantis' path to the White House.
In the past several months DeSantis has become a prominent figure in the discussion over issues such as gender and gun control. The Florida governor has most notably been in a very public battle with Disney. The company refused to support DeSantis' "Don't Say Gay" Bill and he has threatened to build a state prison near the park, and other possible sanction. This among many other recent decisions has drawn criticisms from fellow members of the party.
Other recent measures include Florida's newest concealed carry law, which now allows anyone in the state to carry a concealed firearm with no permits. He has also pushed heavy restrictions in the classrooms including banning books and lesson plans such as critical race theory.
Former President Trump has been a vocal critic of DeSantis, labeling him as "Ron DeSanctus" and declaring him as a "disloyal person". Before he even made a formal announcement Trump backed organizations ran smear campaigns against the congressman.
It should be noted that Florida passed SB 7050 in April, a bill that will allow DeSantis to run for president while still serving as governor. Typically, Florida has an unspoken rule known as "resign to run." It should also be noted that if DeSantis wins the Republican nomination, he must still defeat incumbent President Joe Biden, who is still the likely Democratic candidate for 2024.
The Republican National Convention will be held from July 15, 2024 to July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.