Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to announce his candidacy for President during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, the two will participate in a Twitter Spaces event, an audio chat platform, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, as confirmed by a post retweeted by Musk himself.
BREAKING: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce he is running for president during a Twitter Spaces discussion with Elon Musk on Wednesday night, sources familiar with the plans tell @NBCNews. https://t.co/5vrkY1iDe3
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 23, 2023
The conversation will be moderated by technology entrepreneur David Sacks, a Musk ally and DeSantis supporter. On the same night, the campaign will release a launch video, and DeSantis will begin visiting early primary states following Memorial Day.
The partnership could provide a significant boost for DeSantis by introducing him to Musk’s massive following, including his 140 million Twitter followers. However, it may also become a burden if DeSantis is distracted by the billionaire’s controversial comments.
Reactions to the Upcoming Announcement
State Representative Alina García believes that “Ron DeSantis is a great governor and a great leader for the state of Florida.” State Representative Danny Pérez adds, “Florida is number one in higher education and K-12 schooling.”
Similarly, State Representative Juan Porras thinks that “Florida is now seen as a model for the rest of the country, not only for its economic policies but also for its social policies. Personally, it will be an honor to see our governor run for president.”
However, Diego García from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) argues that “the danger and risk immigrants and Latinos face when traveling to Florida are quite strong, but we will sue, fight, and take action to stop this law.” LULAC is targeting what the governor describes as “the most severe legislation in the United States against illegal immigration.”
“This will have a significant impact. Many immigrants work in construction, agriculture, tourism, and restaurants, and they will be afraid to work there. Many will leave,” warns García.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has also issued a travel warning for Florida, stating that the state is openly hostile to African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals.
The LGBTQ community has been fighting against new laws in Florida since the last legislative session, and now the organization Equality Florida, which advocates for their rights, has also issued a travel warning for the state.