DeSantis’ 2024 Twitter Launch Marred by Tech Problems.

DeSantis’ Presidential Campaign Announcement Marred by Technical Difficulties

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) faced technical difficulties during his official announcement of his presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces on May 24. Competitors reveled in the mishap, while DeSantis’ campaign boasted about the “unprecedented” scale of the launch with Twitter owner Elon Musk.

DeSantis was scheduled to speak with Musk via the audio-only Twitter Spaces chatroom feature. However, following a false start where Musk attempted to launch the space that crashed numerous times, Musk, DeSantis, and host David Sacks launched their conversation about 20 minutes later about the governor’s 2024 presidential campaign.

Over 600,000 listeners attempted to tune in, but the audio kept cutting out, and technical difficulties overshadowed the launch. Rival campaigns were quick to mock DeSantis’ difficulties, including former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump.

• Trump weighed in on Truth Social saying, “Is the DeSantis launch FATAL? Yes!”
• Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., lashed out at the candidate several times, starting off his comments with the simple hashtag “#DeSaster.”
• National Pulse Editor in Chief Raheem Kassam said in a sarcastic Twitter post, “You can’t look short and awkward on Twitter Spaces. Except somehow, DeSantis still managed.”
• Republican Candidate for President Steve Laffey lashed out in a press release sent to The Epoch Times saying, “Gov. DeSantis’s botched campaign announcement on Twitter Spaces is a perfect metaphor for his campaign and policies.”

Musk attributed the technical problems with “scaling issues” related specifically to his account, on which they first attempted to host the conversation. The second space paired down significantly, with around 300,000 listeners without further serious issues.

Despite the technical difficulties, the Team DeSantis Twitter page posted, encouraging voters to donate “while you’re waiting.” The mishap did not deter DeSantis from continuing his campaign.

Lessons Learned

DeSantis’ campaign announcement on Twitter Spaces serves as a reminder that even the most well-planned events can experience technical difficulties. However, it’s important to stay focused on the message and not let mishaps derail the campaign. In the end, it’s the candidate’s policies and vision that matter most to voters.