Gov. DeSantis Announces 2024 Campaign: ‘Great American Comeback’

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election Wednesday evening. 

Key Quotes: In his first campaign video, DeSantis stated, “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.” The Florida Governor added, “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 it can be done.”

Details: DeSantis joins an already crowded Republican race, with former President Donald Trump at the forefront. Shortly after DeSantis’s announcement, Trump posted a video on Truth Social labeling DeSantis one of many “Trump imposters.” DeSantis rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for his opposition to lockdown policies and has gained acclaim among Republicans for his conservative stances on cultural issues, such as education, gender, and immigration. 

How The Media Covered It: The Associated Press determined DeSantis to be “Trump’s strongest Republican rival,” stating DeSantis is framing himself as a “younger and more electable version of the 76-year-old former president.” Noting the technical difficulties during DeSantis’s announcement in a Twitter Spaces channel with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, Reuters stated the announcement was an “inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the governor's executive competence.” Fox News outlined the current Republican field for the nomination, determining DeSantis is in the “top tier of Republican nomination contenders.”