Florida Governor Ron DeSantis enters presidential race with a glitch-filled Twitter chat with Elon Musk

US

Ron DeSantis has entered the race to be the next US president, going head to head with Donald Trump.

He filed a declaration of candidacy with the US federal electoral commission on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old becomes the latest in a crowded Republican contest to decide whether the party will move on from Mr Trump in 2024 as it aims to retake the White House from Democrat Joe Biden.

Those already in the GOP field include former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson.

Read more:
Ron DeSantis as American president is exciting for some, but frightening for others
The controversial Florida governor taking on Mickey Mouse and Donald Trump

Former vice president Mike Pence is also expected to announce his candidacy in the coming weeks.

Under Mr DeSantis’s watch, Florida has passed numerous so-called anti-woke laws, such as the heavily-criticised “don’t say gay” bill and a ban on teaching critical race theory.

More on Donald Trump

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Under Mr DeSantis’s watch, Florida has passed numerous so-called anti-woke laws, such as the heavily-criticised “don’t say gay” bill and a ban on teaching critical race theory.

Restrictions on abortion following the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade have also been introduced in the Sunshine State, enacting a ban on abortion after six weeks.

Recent polling has Mr DeSantis consistently trailing former president Mr Trump, with some indication that the gap is growing.

Articles You May Like

Top filly Thorpedo Anna has minor dental surgery
US broadcaster to give $15m to Trump’s library in settlement
NatWest to hike chief’s pay as bank returns to full private ownership
Former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower found dead at age 26
Big Oil wants to help Big Tech power artificial intelligence data centers