This was supposed to be the big moment. After months of secret campaigning, a book, and a tour of the country, Governor Ron DeSantis has yet to do one thing: Say out loud that he wants to run for president. On Wednesday, he will announce his position in a striking way. In a conversation with Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla and Twitter, his candidacy will be announced on the new voice platform Twitter Spaces.
It will be 6:00 PM local time. Then it happens: nothing. “Is this effective?” ‘Welcome?’ “The servers are melting!” Unidentified voices echoed through the audio channel just before the live broadcast collapsed. Half a million listeners turned out to be too much for the new platform. After 20 minutes it restarts.
About the author
Thomas Ruepp is the US correspondent for De Volkskrant. Lives in New York. He is the author of the book Laura H.
His advertisement, in this unorthodox way, turned out to be quite traditional. DeSantis reads a long statement. He criticizes Joe Biden’s policies – “Borders are a disaster, our cities are violent” – and occasionally gives Trump a small quip: “Government is not entertainment.”
DeSantis says he wants to apply his culturally conservative politics as governor of Florida to the rest of the country. At the same time, a video surfaced on Twitter in which DeSantis revealed his campaign slogan against the backdrop of the American flag:Our great American comeback.”
Get ready on Fox News
Later on Wednesday night, Ron DeSantis gets a rematch on Fox News TV. There he repeats his most important messages in an interview with broadcaster Trey Gowdy. It also offers some new promises.
DeSantis says he will declare an emergency “on day one” over immigration at the US southern border. He would immediately end Biden’s recently reformed border policy, while resuming construction of Trump’s border wall.
According to DeSantis, the United States is now dealing with “side issues” such as climate change, bureaucracy, and gender identity. The governor prefers to focus on security, immigration, and the emergence of “wake-up.” This is the collective term DeSantis uses to refer to the progressive ideology he despises.
His intended policies as president appear to align neatly with his resume as governor. DeSantis enacted policies that limited abortion options, made sexual orientation taboo in classrooms, and facilitated access to firearms. “The awakened ideology will end up in the dustbin of history,” DeSantis told Fox News on Wednesday.
Another notable promise Wednesday night: DeSantis will fire FBI Director Chris Wray on his first day as chief. DeSantis is suspicious of the agency, which he says is aligned with the Democrats.
Flying start
With his nomination, Ron DeAntis is by far former President Donald Trump’s fiercest competitor. He has the largest campaign coffers of any candidate, with likely more than $100 million in donations. The governor is ideologically close to Trump, but he presents himself as the most stable and intelligent politician. But in terms of popularity, he seems to be far behind the previous president.
DeSantis’ campaign got off to a fast start last year. Republicans have had very disappointing midterm elections in the fall of 2022. Pro-Trump candidates have lost to a Democrat in several crucial states. Trump’s popularity plummeted after that, while DeSantis’ popularity went through the roof.
Florida’s governor proved to be the biggest exception during this midterm election. DeSantis had secured re-election in a landslide, winning over voters even in previously left-leaning districts. In this way, attract the attention of voters and donors.
It’s not rosy anymore
At the end of last year, about 30 percent of Republican voters said they would vote for him, which is quite an achievement for someone who has yet to run for office. It is no longer so rosy. Since the New York judiciary announced that it will try Trump, the former president has started his own comeback. According to recent polls, Trump will now have more than 50% of the vote, DeSantis is down to 20%.
President Joe Biden used DeSantis’ technically flawed ad for his own campaign message, and to mock his latest rival. On Twitter, Biden posted a reference to his donation page. Accompanying text: “This link works.”
