With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) making his presidential announcement, support and criticism of his candidacy are beginning to pour in. DeSantis now positions himself as a frontrunner alongside President Donald Trump (R).
Gov. DeSantis announced his intention to run for the presidency during a Twitter Spaces talk with Elon Musk. Wednesday afternoon, reports started to circulate that Governor DeSantis had filed the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Committee to run for the White House.
Ahead of the Twitter Spaces event, criticism started pouring in from GOP rivals.
Vivek Ramaswamy (R) released a statement on social media, calling into question a policy concern for DeSantis.
“Interested to know whether Ron DeSantis would’ve supported the bailout of Silicon Valley bank depositors,” Ramaswamy questioned. This is because “his megadonor David Sacks was the most vocal supporter of that bailout and he’s moderating the Twitter Spaces with Ron tonight.”
“He should ask. A legitimate policy question for a presidential candidate,” concluded Ramaswamy.
Similarly, Democrats have also directed criticism at DeSantis, releasing an image detailing DeSantis’ time in politics dating back to his time in Congress.
Ron DeSantis has pushed an extreme MAGA agenda focused on taking away Floridians’ freedoms —and now he’s running for president to take it nationwide.
Here’s what you need to know: pic.twitter.com/nTjIpmH3kc
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) May 24, 2023
“Ron DeSantis has pushed an extreme MAGA agenda focused on taking away Floridians’ freedoms – and now he’s running for president to take it nationwide,” the party’s Instagram account shared. They further warn that as a member of Congress DeSantis “voted for Trump’s corporate tax handouts” and “worked to repeal the ACA.”
As Governor of Florida, DeSantis “parroted Putin’s talking points” and “thanks to DeSantis, health care & housing costs are skyrocketing.”
Team Biden-Harris also directed a message to supporters, arguing that DeSantis has been a threat to abortion rights, that he has “made it easier for criminals to carry guns,” and “he signed laws allowing books to be banned from schools and attacking LGBTQ+ youth.”
President Trump has not issued a statement on DeSantis’ announcement.
