Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Launches Presidential Campaign
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday confirmed previous Worthy News reporting that he will run for U.S. president in 2024.
DeSantis filed paperwork announcing his bid for the White House and unveiled his campaign in an online appearance social media online platform Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
Backed by nearly $120 million in available funds and more on the way, the 44-year-old is former president Donald J. Trump’s chief rival for the Republican Party nomination.
Ahead of his official campaign launch, DeSantis said on Twitter that it was “Great chatting with [U.S. evangelist] Franklin Graham about fighting against the woke culture and the importance of family and faith.”
DeSantis met the son of late preacher Billy Graham at the annual National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) International Christian Media Convention.
The governor also spoke at the NRB gathering about “the importance of supporting families, protecting children, and defending religious liberty,” an essential campaign theme.
Trump quickly denounced his rival, saying on his Truth social media platform that his support was the only reason DeSantis won a previous election.
GENERAL ELECTIONS
He added that DeSantis would never win a general election, as he “desperately needs a personality transplant and, to the best of my knowledge, they are not medically available yet.”
Trump claimed a poll on the Fox News Channel was “old data” and claimed he was leading DeSantis by a far greater margin.
Observers said the former president’s harsh words underscore an expected tough race for the Republican nomination over the next year.
By starting his campaign on Twitter, DeSantis bypassed traditional methods, such as an in-person rally, an extensive television interview, or a slickly produced online video.
Opting for Twitter as his first choice was seen as a remarkable statement about the type of voters he hopes to prioritize and a warning to Trump, who was taken off Twitter following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Trump soon started his own competing social media service, Truth Social.
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