Ron DeSantis, the arch-conservative, culture-warrior Florida governor who ironically saw his political career take off by defending and channeling former US President Donald Trump, has decided to challenge him for the GOP presidential nomination.
DeSantis filed paperwork on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, before his planned event with Musk and an interview with Fox News later on Wednesday evening.
As governor of Florida, DeSantis has pursued divisive, culture war-focused policies, including signing a six-week abortion ban and targeting the teaching of LGBTQ+ and race issues in public schools.
DeSantis's decision comes after months of speculation, but Trump hasn't waited to begin the attacks. Trump and a political action committee supporting him have spent millions of dollars hammering the Florida governor, and DeSantis' polling numbers have cratered, putting him in a deeper a hole than he and his allies had anticipated. 219
