On Wednesday, May 24, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced via Twitter’s audio platform that he is entering the Republican presidential primary. This announcement also marks the start of a clash with the current GOP front-runner, former President Donald Trump. 

In collaboration with Twitter owner Elon Musk and tech investor David Sacks, the governor announced that he is running for president to lead what he has coined as the “great American comeback.”

DeSantis’ initial scheduled 6 p.m. audio feed was delayed for over 20 minutes due to a flood of listeners that crashed the stream. 

Trump responded with defensive commentary on his self-owned Truth Social network, where he posted a rocket-ship meme blowing up on launch, mocking both Musk and DeSantis. 

As governor of Florida, DeSantis has pursued culture-war focused policies, with legislation such as a six-week abortion ban and targeting teaching of LGBTQ+ and race issues in public schools and education.