Ron DeSantis put an end to the slight suspense that was hovering. The Republican will be well in the race for the presidential election in 2024. He could find Joe Biden, the president-candidate there. But before that, he will have to fight within his party against former head of state Donald Trump. The current governor of Florida submitted his candidacy this Wednesday, May 24, a few hours before chatting with Elon Musk on Twitter.
The candidacy of Ron DeSantis, 44, is highly anticipated by Republicans seeking an alternative to the 76-year-old former US president, whose ideas he shares but not the excesses. The choice of this exchange with the boss of Twitter, moderated by Republican businessman David Sacks, for a campaign launch is however atypical. Ron DeSantis has called himself a candidate for the White House to orchestrate "America's Great Comeback". "I'm running for president to lead America's comeback," the Florida governor said in a video posted to his Twitter account.
Former Navy officer, Ron DeSantis gained popularity by multiplying the blows brilliance ultraconservatives on education or immigration. In the name of a battle against supposed "well-thinking", he turned his state into a laboratory of conservative ideas. But his path to the White House is strewn with pitfalls.
The governor, in whom many conservatives had placed their hopes for the presidential election after his triumphant re-election in Florida in November 2022, is now seriously behind Donald Trump - officially a candidate since November 2022 -, according to numerous opinion polls. Polls that must be taken with tweezers, as the ballot is still far away, but that Donald Trump happily shares on his network, Truth Social. The main handicap of the conservative, father of three children: a lack of charisma, pointed out from all sides. And on which the Trump camp does not hesitate to attack it. “Announcing his candidacy on Twitter is perfect for DeSantis. That way, he doesn't need to interact with anyone, "said one of the former president's advisers to AFP.
In this face-to-face with Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis will still be able to rely on an imposing war chest of 110 million dollars. He intends to draw on these funds to try to catch up by flooding the country with advertising spots. In a recent video from his political action committee, a man puts a "President DeSantis" sticker over a "Trump 2016" on a car. It is a summary of the message that the governor wants to convey to voters. : elected to head Florida in 2018, with the support of… Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis claims to embody the new guard. The other declared Republican candidates - Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, Asa Hutchinson - for the moment rarely exceed 5% of voting intentions.
