There is the age-old question of what makes someone want to run for president. And then there is the question of how the candidate announces. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is opting for Twitter: not a tweet but a live discussion hosted by none other than the boss of that social media platform. Elon Musk insists the event does not constitute an endorsement on his part. But if the medium is the message, what does this launch say about the candidate and the times we live in?
Back in 2016, before DeSantis' main rival was first banned then reinstated to Twitter, Donald Trump upended US politics, not just with his 140-word missives and his old-school phone-in interviews, but also the quiet backing of Silicon Valley scions like PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and some canny behind-the-scenes data mining, later uncovered in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Back then, Facebook was the battleground. Where will the election be won in 2024?
Of course, it is also about policy and personality. We ask about DeSantis, his run-ins with Trump and his bet on anti-woke politics that have him in a showdown with Walt Disney World. Where will the Republican nomination and the general election be won and on what issues?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Laura Welfringer, Louise Guibert and Guillaume Gougeon.
