Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk, the platform’s polarizing owner, according to people with knowledge of his plans.
Mr. DeSantis’s entry into the Republican primary race against former President Donald J. Trump has been widely expected, but the decision to do so with Mr. Musk adds a surprising element and gives Mr. DeSantis access to a large audience online.
The event on Twitter Spaces is planned for 6 p.m. Eastern. Mr. DeSantis is expected to later appear on Fox News in an interview with Trey Gowdy, a former congressman from South Carolina, according to the network.
Mr. Musk appeared to confirm the news on Tuesday by retweeting a Fox News reporter who had shared news of the planned Twitter Space with Mr. DeSantis. The governor has also gathered donors on Wednesday at the Four Seasons in Miami.
The conversation with Mr. Musk will be moderated by David Sacks, a Republican donor who is a DeSantis supporter and close to Mr. Musk.
Mr. Musk said he voted for President Biden in the 2020 election, but has since been critical of him and his administration, which has a frosty relationship with his electric automaker, Tesla. The billionaire has said it was difficult for Mr. Biden to stay in touch with voters at the age of 80.
While Mr. Musk has called himself a moderate who has voted for Democrats in the past, he has shifted his support in recent years toward the right. On Twitter he has engaged with and shared right-wing conspiracy theories, including one about the October attack of Paul Pelosi, the husband of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Mr. Musk called the Democratic Party one of “division & hate” and said he would vote for Republican candidates. The Daily Beast later reported that Mr. Musk did not cast a ballot in the midterms.
Mr. Musk has not been shy in voicing his support for Mr. DeSantis, and has done so multiple times last year. In July, the Tesla chief executive and Twitter owner tweeted that the Florida governor would “easily win” if matched up against Mr. Biden in 2024. And in November he responded in the affirmative when asked by a Twitter user if he would support Mr. DeSantis in that election.
Last summer, when Mr. DeSantis was asked about Mr. Musk’s potential support, the Florida governor cracked: “I welcome support from African Americans, what can I say?” (Mr. Musk is white and from South Africa.)
