It was meant to be a defining moment for Governor Ron DeSantis, a pivotal step in his journey toward the White House. The governor's campaign chose to use Twitter spaces to host the event, taking a calculated risk. It was the first virtual presidential announcement to date, and reflects Elon Musk's vision for Twitter to be the "de-facto public town square."
As DeSantis prepared to make his grand entrance on Twitter's Spaces feature, technical difficulties plagued the platform, causing crashes, feedback glitches, and audio failures. The much-anticipated conversation with tech mogul Elon Musk, Twitter's owner, was delayed by a frustrating 25 minutes, leaving eager listeners hanging in suspense.
An Unorthodox Choice
What made DeSantis' announcement remarkable was his decision to rely on an audio-only Twitter tool, Twitter Spaces, for such a significant occasion. This unorthodox choice attracted attention and scrutiny from critics who questioned the wisdom of relying on a platform still in its early stages.
While the event was supposed to start at 6 pm CST, the interruption posed by the server crashes postponed the announcement by about 25 minutes.
Officially filing the necessary paperwork earlier in the day, he made it clear that he was entering the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
In a pre-recorded video released by his campaign, DeSantis expressed his vision for an American comeback, emphasizing key issues such as crime and economic anxiety. The video was posted on his Twitter account before his official announcement.
When he finally had the opportunity to speak without interruption, DeSantis reiterated these points and criticized President Joe Biden's leadership style, accusing him of lacking vigor and being influenced by the "woke mob."
The Fallout and Responses
The media called it a botched announcement. The event quickly became a topic of discussion and mockery among critics as journalists and media personalities seized the opportunity to criticize DeSantis.
Even former President Donald Trump, on his Twitter-like social platform, joined in with a jab. He posted a video of a SpaceX rocket failing to land and exploding with a Ron DeSantis logo edited on top.
President Biden's official Twitter account took advantage of the situation by diverting attention toward his own reelection campaign, highlighting a functioning link to his donation page. “This link works,” the tweet said.
This link works: https://t.co/9PzIJkseYI
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 24, 2023
DeSantis responded on Fox News "We had a huge audience. It was the biggest it ever had. It did break the Twitter space. And so we're really excited with the enthusiasm."
The event could be seen as iconic internet moment, the very first presidential campaign announced on Twitter Spaces. Alternatively, it could be seen as a botched presidential announcement. Its legacy remains to be seen.