Summary

  • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is officially running for US president in 2024

  • He spoke at a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk, initially hit by technical issues

  • "I am running for President of the United States to lead our great American comeback," DeSantis says

  • Speaking of his plans, he says his approach to Covid-19 restrictions showed he likes to go "against the grain"

  • The 44-year-old is ex-president Donald Trump's chief rival for the Republican Party nomination

  • Ex-United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are other Republicans running

Live Reporting

Edited by Marianna Brady

  1. Who is Ron DeSantis?

    The Republican governor of Florida has built a national profile with his combative brand of cultural conservatism.

    DeSantis, 44, is a relative newcomer to US politics, having first been elected to the House of Representatives in 2012.

    He was elected governor of Florida in 2018.

    DeSantis studied history at Yale University - where he was captain of the baseball team - and went on to Harvard Law School.

    He served as an officer in the US Navy, and worked with detainees at Guantanamo Bay, as well as an assignment as a legal adviser for the elite US Navy Seals deployed to Iraq.

    DeSantis hit the national spotlight for his handling of Covid-19 in Florida. By July of 2020 - as cases skyrocketed nationally - he ordered that schools be reopened.

    You can read more about his career in this article.

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at an event in Iowa in March 2023Getty Images

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at an event in Iowa in March 2023

  2. Welcome to our live coverage

    Marianna Brady
    Live reporter

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has filed paperwork confirming that he will run for US president in 2024.

    It has long been suspected that he would throw his hat in the ring, and filing the paperwork makes it official.

    DeSantis will be taking on Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, and though he trails the former president in recent polls, he is considered his main contender.

    In a few hours, DeSantis will join Elon Musk in a conversation on Twitter to publicly announce his campaign for president.

    Stay with us for all the latest updates.