FLORIDA — Tonight, after months of speculation – and high expectation – Ron DeSantis announced his official candidacy for President of the United States during an interview with Elon Musk on Twitter.
“I’m Ron DeSantis, and I’m running for president to lead our Great American Comeback.”
“Our border is a disaster. Crime infests our cities. The federal government makes it harder for families to make ends meet. And the president flounders,” Ron DeSantis said in a prepared statement.
EMBARKING ON A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
According to DeSantis, decline is a choice, success is attainable and freedom is still worth fighting for in America.
DeSantis, known for surprising even his closest advisers and allies with last-minute changes, filed the official paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission on Wednesday afternoon. The governor now embarks on a national campaign trail proving he’s willing to engage in traditional retail campaigning in early-voting states like New Hampshire and Iowa.
“Righting the ship requires restoring sanity to our society, normalcy to our communities, and integrity to our institutions. Truth must be our foundation – and common sense can no longer be an uncommon virtue. In Florida, we proved that it can be done,” DeSantis said.
During a May 18 donor call organized by the super PAC Never Back Down, the governor said he was one of only three “credible” candidates running for president in 2024.
“You have basically three people at this point that are credible in this whole thing,” DeSantis said. “Biden, Trump and me. And I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president – Biden and me, based on all the data in the swing states, which is not great for the former president and probably insurmountable because people aren’t going to change their view of him.”
Can DeSantis withstand the attacks and nasty nicknames from Trump while also charting a clear path forward for the United States of America? He’s already toured the country touting his book, received endorsements from elected officials and demonstrated his foreign policy vision – all while governing the third most populous state.
DeSantis said Florida’s recent legislative session was one of the most productive in Florida’s history. Now, because of an exemption carved out in Florida law by the Republican supermajority, DeSantis does not have to resign as Florida’s governor in order to run for president.
I’m running for president to lead our Great American Comeback. pic.twitter.com/YmkWkLaVDg
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) May 24, 2023
