Ron DeSantis is set to announce his 2024 presidential bid during a Twitter Space with the app’s ‘chief Twit’ Elon Musk, according to NBC News.
At 11 p.m. UK time tomorrow, DeSantis will appear in a discussion with Musk – perhaps part of a bid to make the governor seem less awkward? – moderated by David Sacks, ‘a Musk confidant and DeSantis supporter’.
The Florida governor’s entry into the race is long awaited – and the unique decision to make his announcement on Twitter is earning plaudits from his supporters.
‘@RonDeSantis announcing his campaign with @elonmusk is a big deal – and not only because it’s a novel way to launch,’ said Dave Reaboi in an overlong tweet. ‘DeSantis is far more right-wing than Elon is, and there’s a lot they disagree on. But the governor’s ability to connect with and impress people who ordinarily wouldn’t support a right-wing politician – without the slightest bit of softening or pandering – is significant. Competence and intelligence goes a long way.’ ‘This is how you change the game,’ tweeted podcaster Dave Rubin.
A frequent critique of the Democratic chattering classes in the last few years is that they have been ‘too Online’ and ‘spend too long listening to Twitter’. Under its previous leadership, the app helped inculcate echo chambers that kept the media and politicians out of touch with grassroots voters, or so the old adage went.
And DeSantis’s chief opponent for the Republican nomination, Donald Trump, was also infamously on Twitter at all hours, before the app kicked him off following the attempted 6 January insurrection. Steerpike wonders: is DeSantis missing a trick by selecting the same site and not differentiating himself from the Donald? We’ll be tuning in regardless…
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