Ron DeSantis, Elon Musk, and Short Memories in Media

Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s decision to launch his 2024 bid on Twitter alongside Elon Musk is either a masterstroke or another example of how the governor’s campaign has siloed itself with unrepresentative denizens of the virtual world. I was initially skeptical of DeSantis’s decision to affiliate himself with one of the world’s most polarizing over-sharers. It’s a decision that may yet complicate DeSantis’s campaign down the line. But the coverage his unconventional launch has garnered since the announcement eclipses even that which should accompany the entrance of Donald Trump’s most viable opponent into the GOP primary race.

Whatever else DeSantis’s decision is, it’s a bold and unconventional move. What Elon Musk and Ron DeSantis’s publicity stunt is not, however, is an unprecedented intervention into the political process by the private tech industry. On that point, NBC News reporters Dasha Burns and Matt Dixon disagree:

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s decision to launch his 2024 bid on Twitter alongside Elon Musk is either a masterstroke or another example of how the governor’s campaign has siloed itself with unrepresentative denizens of the virtual world. I was initially skeptical of DeSantis’s decision to affiliate himself with one of the world’s most polarizing over-sharers. It’s a decision that may yet complicate DeSantis’s campaign down the line. But the coverage his unconventional launch has garnered since the announcement eclipses even that which should accompany the entrance of Donald Trump’s most viable opponent into the GOP primary race.

Whatever else DeSantis’s decision is, it’s a bold and unconventional move. What Elon Musk and Ron DeSantis’s publicity stunt is not, however, is an unprecedented intervention into the political process by the private tech industry. On that point, NBC News reporters Dasha Burns and Matt Dixon disagree:

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.