DeSantis set to launch 2024 bid with Musk 

The race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination entered a new, more volatile phase this week Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) preparing to jump into the already crowded field.

© Getty Images/Octavio Jones

The Florida governor is expected to announce his presidential campaign in a livestreamed chat with the Twitter CEO Elon Musk tomorrow night, according to multiple reports. The DeSantis campaign confirmed to The Hill that a “special Twitter Spaces” will take place on Wednesday at 6 pm ET.

The launch of DeSantis’ campaign will follow that of Sen. Tim Scott (RS.C.), who kicked off his presidential bid on Monday at an event in North Charleston, S.C. He filed papers declaring his candidacy last week with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), but the his announcement on Monday brought his campaign into the open.

And there is a possibility that more candidates will enter the race in the coming days. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is said to be about to launch the campaign, while New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is still evaluating a bid and said he plans to make a decision in June.

The flurry of new and potential announcements means the Republican primary field could grow even more crowded — a development some in the party hope to avoid, as they fear it might. ‘g will ease the path of former President Donald Trump to the GOP nomination next year.

Scott’s entry into the race on Monday brings the list of major 2024 Republicans to six; Trump, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, businessman Vivek Ramaswamyformer Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and radio host Larry Elder also seeking nomination.

It also raises questions about how the candidates will deal with Trump, who still leads early voting by wide margins. Christie has already signaled that he plans to make a head-to-head approach to the former president, and has taken shots at him over everything from Trump’s reluctance to participate in the presidential primary debate to in his comments on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But others, like DeSantis, seem likely to take a hands-off approach to Trump. NBC News’ Natasha Korecki reported Tuesday that the Florida governor is likely to do away with Trump’s daily attacks and take him under more limited circumstances.

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Nearly a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion is still poised to play a big role in the 2024 election.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a prominent anti-abortion rights group, has begun increasing pressure on GOP presidential candidates, urging them to school hard-line conservatives. positions on the issue and will commit to supporting a federal ban on the procedure.

In an effort to advance that case, the group recently teamed up with Kellyanne Conway, the longtime Republican pollster and former Trump adviser, to help train candidates on how to talk about their stance on civil rights. abortion.

“Pro-lifers must be clear, crisp, compelling and, yes, compassionate in saving lives and winning hearts and minds,” Conway said in a statement to The Hill.

“States’ rights are important, but leaders in Washington must also support our first freedom, the right to life. More than 70% of the country agrees that abortion before the first trimester, for example, 15 weeks, makes sense, but 100% of Democrats insist on abortion, anytime, anywhere, anyone. They deny science, sonograms and sensitivity.”

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America flexed its political muscles last month when it openly criticized Trump after he suggested that abortion restrictions should be left to individual states rather than the federal government. Trump eventually met with the group’s president Marjorie Dannenfelser to smooth things over.

Dannenfelser said after his meeting with Trump that he spoke with “all the other GOP presidential hopefuls.” The group has made it clear that it will not support any candidate who does not support at least a 15-week federal abortion ban.

No Republican presidential hopeful comes anywhere close to Trump when it comes to congressional endorsements. But DeSantis added one more member to his list Tuesday: Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.).

McCormick’s endorsement makes him the most prominent Georgia Republican yet to weigh in on the 2024 presidential race. In a statement, McCormick cast DeSantis as the future of the Republican Party, arguing that the country needs a new political voice.

“We need a warrior who will do whatever it takes to champion conservative values ​​and protect the next generation,” McCormick said in a statement. “When it comes to the 2024 election, I’ve made a choice: Governor Ron DeSantis is battle-tested and ready to be our next President.”

“But above all, this election is not about the past, it is about the future – who will lift us up? Who can inspire a Nation? Who can lead us forward? That’s Governor Ron DeSantis – a courageous conservative, a man of character and conviction, a champion of our values.

Currently, four more members of the House – Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) and Bob Good (R-Va.) – chose DeSantis over Trump in the 2024 race. That pales in comparison to Trump, who has gathered endorsements from more than 50 House Republicans, but the Florida governor still leads most of his likely Republican rivals.

Branch out with a different read from The Hill:

This is the fourth in a five-part series called “How Florida is conservative.” Florida’s shift to the right has made the Sunshine State under Governor Ron DeSantis (R) a model for other GOP-led states seeking to enact conservative cultural policies. It also makes DeSantis a national Republican leader poised to challenge former President Trump in the GOP primary…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) suggested that the next president could nominate two new justices to the Supreme Court to strengthen its conservative majority. DeSantis gave remarks at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention on Monday, outlining that the next president could shape the conservative majority on the Supreme Court for the next two terms. DeSantis is expected to announce his bid for the White House this week, which…

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