

The Florida governor spent much of the day behind closed doors. He has gone to great lengths to avoid unscripted public appearances and media scrutiny while governor, which is difficult, if not impossible, as a presidential contender. He is a political heavyweight in Florida and a regular on Fox News, but allies acknowledge that most primary voters in other states don’t know him well.ĭespite his lengthy resume, friends and foes alike note that DeSantis struggles to display the campaign-trail charisma and quick-on-your-feet thinking that often defines successful candidates at the national level.

In choosing Twitter on Wednesday evening, DeSantis tried to take a page out of the playbook that helped turn businessman-TV celebrity Trump into a political star, but it didn’t go as planned.īut the kitchen-sink attacks and nicknames won’t be DeSantis’ only hurdle. Former Vice President Mike Pence is also considered a likely presidential candidate but has not yet announced a bid. Asa Hutchinson and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Tim Scott of South Carolina, former Arkansas Gov. The ultimate Republican nominee is expected to face Democratic President Joe Biden on the general election ballot in November 2024.ĭeSantis joins a field that also includes former U.N.

“Buckle up when I get in there, because the status quo is not acceptable,” DeSantis said. He did not mention Trump even once in his discussion with Musk that ultimately spanned more than an hour.

He has generated significant interest among GOP primary voters by casting himself as a younger and more electable version of the 76-year-old former president. He enters the race looking up at Trump in early polls while facing serious questions about his far-right policies, his campaign-trail personality and his lack of relationships across the Republican ecosystem. DeSantis’ path to the Republican presidential nomination will not be easy.
