Campaign

Trump blasts DeSantis campaign launch: ‘catastrophe,’ ‘DISASTER’

by Julia Shapero - 05/24/23 9:40 PM ET

Former President Trump blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) campaign launch as a “catastrophe” and “disaster” on Wednesday after the governor’s announcement on Twitter was marred by technological glitches.

“Wow! The DeSanctus TWITTER launch is a DISASTER! His whole campaign will be a disaster. WATCH!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, using a shortened version of his “DeSanctimonious” nickname.

“Is the DeSantis launch FATAL?” he later added. “Yes!”

DeSantis officially announced his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Twitter Spaces with CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday night, after filing paperwork and posting a campaign launch video earlier in the day.

However, Twitter Spaces encountered technical difficulties, with some users losing sound or finding themselves unable to access the live broadcast.

More on DeSantis’s launch from The Hill

Trump compared DeSantis’s launch to that of Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who announced his campaign Monday. The former president praised the South Carolina senator earlier this week as a “big step up” from DeSantis.

“Tim Scott’s Presidential launch, even with the broken microphone (don’t pay the contractor, Tim!), was by far the best Presidential launch of the week,” Trump said in another Truth Social post on Wednesday. “Robs was a catastrophe!”

DeSantis, who has hinted at a White House run for months, has been the only Republican candidate to make headway against the former president in the polls. However, a polling average on Wednesday showed Trump leading the Florida governor by more than 30 points.