Florida Governor Ron DeSantis~, will make his presidential candidacy announcement while speaking with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, according to three sources familiar with the planning.
On Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET, Musk and DeSantis will host a gathering on Twitter Spaces, the website’s audio chat tool. It will be moderated by software entrepreneur David Sacks, a supporter of DeSantis and a confidant of Elon Musk. The campaign will debut its video the same night, and DeSantis will start touring several early states after Memorial Day.
DeSantis may benefit greatly from the alliance because it will provide him access to and credibility with Musk’s enormous following, which includes his 140 million Twitter followers. But if the tycoon’s numerous divisive remarks cause DeSantis to lose focus, it can become a burden. The rich computer tycoon and a rising star in the Republican Party will be tightly linked by the launch. Musk is a fan of DeSantis, who frequently criticizes corporate media. Musk declared last year that if the governor decided to run for president, he would back him.
The announcement will take place in conjunction with a retreat in Miami for wealthy donors who have vowed to back DeSantis. From May 24 to 26, bundlers will congregate at the Four Seasons hotel where they will get briefings from campaign staff members and have opportunity to make phone calls to generate money for the cause.
According to a person with knowledge of the conversations, the DeSantis team has been in contact with Musk for at least the past few weeks. The insider claimed that throughout those chats, Musk made it clear he did not believe former President Donald Trump could win back the White House. The insider replied, “He’s interested in the future and he’s interested in winning again.” Although it’s unclear whether Musk would officially back DeSantis on Wednesday, a different source claimed that his participation is seen by DeSantis’ team as a strong indication of the governor’s support.
But Musk is nothing if not erratic, and on Friday he tweeted support for a campaign ad from Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a rival of DeSantis for the GOP nomination. Musk, Sacks, or the DeSantis campaign did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment on this story.
Musk’s alignment with DeSantis’ presidential declaration, even if he refrains from endorsing him fully, places him and the company more directly in a presidential contest than any other tech company before it. Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms have started voter registration drives and election centres, but have kept candidates at a distance. Additionally, the involvement of someone of Musk’s magnitude in DeSantis’ presidential campaign undermines Trump’s authority and likelihood of victory.
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