Florida’s incumbent Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, declared his presidential campaign in the 2024 election. DeSantis disclosed his political ambitions during a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk, challenging the incumbent Democratic leader, Joe Biden. DeSantis reiterated his ambitions on Twitter, writing, “I’m running for president to lead our great American comeback.” The Florida governor also posted a video that says:
“Our border is a disaster. Crime infests our cities. The federal government makes it harder for families to make ends meet. And the president flounders.”
Unsurprisingly, DeSantis’ decision to announce his presidential bid alongside Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces garnered some criticism. To make matters worse, technical difficulties and unexpected webcast interruptions marred the event, making parts of the reveal practically uncomfortable to watch. Addressing Musk, the determined candidate stated, “American decline is not inevitable; it is a choice. We should choose a new direction, a path that will lead to American revitalization.”
The Republican’s Twitter event with Musk follows in the footsteps of Democratic candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who have announced their acceptance of bitcoin (BTC) for campaign contributions. While DeSantis does not yet accept Bitcoin, he has indicated support for the technology, distinguishing himself from Biden and Trump. On two separate occasions, he has expressed his support for implementing a Florida-based system that uses cryptocurrency holdings to pay state fees.
DeSantis published his “Freedom First Budget” at the end of December 2021, describing plans to create a separate department in Florida to handle state fees using cryptocurrency assets. DeSantis presented an update in March 2022, emphasizing his team’s efforts in finding possibilities to allow businesses to satisfy their tax liabilities with Bitcoin (BTC). DeSantis stated at the time:
“There’s a difference between a decentralized digital cryptocurrency like bitcoin and what some are talking about doing at the federal level to convert U.S. dollars into basically a digital currency.”
DeSantis said another four years of Biden could be fatal for Bitcoin.
In addition to his remarks regarding Bitcoin, Florida’s governor has taken a risk by outlawing the usage of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) within the state. DeSantis defended the decision by underlining the potential risks involved with CBDCs, particularly worries about breaches of privacy and centralized control over people’s financial transactions. According to the legislation’s summary, the legislation imposing Florida’s CBDC ban is expected to take effect on July 1, 2023. During the Twitter Spaces conversation, DeSantis stated that if elected president, he would fight a CBDC on a national basis.
DeSantis committed to safeguard people’s rights to use Bitcoin (BTC), and he believes that another four years of Biden will be hurtful to the biggest crypto asset. “Bitcoin represents a threat to them,” added DeSantis. “They’re trying to regulate it out of existence. The current regime they have it out for Bitcoin. And if it continues for another four years, they’ll probably end up killing it.” The Florida lawmaker went on to say that America was veering off course and on the wrong track.
According to DeSantis during the Twitter Spaces event, “We know our country’s going in the wrong direction. We see it with our own eyes. And we feel it in our bones. Our president, while he lacks vigor, flounders in the face of our nation’s challenges and he takes his cues from the woke mob.”
