Twitter crashes as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis launches 2024 US presidential bid

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made headlines on Wednesday as he officially declared his intention to seek the 2024 Republican nomination for president. However, his entry into the race encountered technical difficulties during an audio interview on Twitter, diverting attention from his announcement. The interview, which was intended to serve as the formal launch of DeSantis' campaign, suffered from intermittent sound issues, causing some users to be unable to join or get dropped from the broadcast.

After a delay of approximately 25 minutes, the Spaces session finally resumed with an audience of around 241,000 users eagerly tuning in to listen. However, the technical glitches and interruptions that plagued the event sparked trending Twitter topics in the US, including "Failure to Launch," "Crashed," and the hashtag #DeSaster.

Amidst the hiccups, US President Joe Biden couldn't resist poking some light-hearted fun at the shaky rollout of Ron DeSantis' presidential bid. He took to Twitter to send out a fundraising appeal accompanied by the message, "This link works," subtly highlighting the contrasting reliability of his own campaign.

In a video posted on Twitter, DeSantis proclaimed, "We need the courage to lead and the strength to win. I'm Ron DeSantis, and I'm running for president to lead our great American comeback." With this declaration, the Florida governor set the stage for a showdown with his former ally, former President Donald Trump, shaking up the race for the White House.

At 44 years old, DeSantis has been steadily gaining a national profile and is expected to possess significant financial resources, making him Trump's most formidable rival for the Republican nomination. However, recent polls indicate that Trump maintains a substantial lead over the Florida governor, with more than a 2-to-1 advantage. DeSantis, who has long been viewed as a rising star within the Republican Party and a representative of a new generation of leaders, faces the challenge of overcoming Trump's early start in organising his campaign in crucial early-voting states.

"We must end the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years," DeSantis emphasised during the event with Elon Musk, after a lengthy interruption. 

Supporters and donors will be closely observing whether DeSantis will now engage in a more assertive confrontation with Trump, who has been relentlessly attacking him without substantial retaliation. Some allies of DeSantis have expressed frustration over his perceived lack of forceful response to Trump's attacks. Taking a veiled swipe at Trump, DeSantis remarked, "Government is not about entertainment, not about building a brand."

While Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter, clarified that his presence at the event did not constitute an endorsement but rather an effort to make the platform more like a town square, DeSantis planned to hold a meeting with his top donors at a Miami hotel to kickstart his fundraising campaign.

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DeSantis' primary argument for his candidacy will likely revolve around his ability to defeat Democratic President Joe Biden, who emerged victorious over Trump in the 2020 election. "Our president, while he lacks vigour, flounders in the face of our nation's challenges and takes cues from the woke mob," DeSantis stated.

Mainstream Republicans will closely monitor DeSantis' campaign, paying attention to his ability to recover from past missteps in foreign policy, such as his initial hesitance to express support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

In the weeks leading up to his presidential bid, DeSantis embarked on a nationwide tour, visiting states like Iowa and New Hampshire that host early nominating contests. He has proudly highlighted his record as Florida's governor, including his battles with the federal government over pandemic policies.

DeSantis recently found himself entangled in a dispute with Disney over the company's criticism of laws prohibiting the teaching of gender identity concepts in public schools. Disney filed a federal lawsuit accusing DeSantis of weaponising the state government to punish its operations.

Other declared Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential race include Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the United Nations, and Tim Scott, a US senator from South Carolina.

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