Technical issues plagued the beginning of highly anticipated presidential campaign launch of Gov. Ron DeSantis, as the initial Twitter Spaces audio continued to cut out prior to DeSantis even being introduced.
The Twitter Spaces call, scheduled to launch at 6 p.m. Eastern, began several minutes late as one unidentified voice whispered that it was “quiet.” David Sacks, the entrepreneur hosting the event, began to introduce Elon Musk and asserted that this was “historic” before the audio cut out. From then on, the audio continued to cut in out several times, with continued echoing and seemingly random voices — not the voice of the governor, whom the conversation was all about.
“I’d like to just introduce the folks in the room here. So it’s safe to say we wouldn’t be making history without the man sitting next to me, Elon Musk his decision to purchase this platform last year,” Sacks said, praising Musk before audio issues began to take over.
They continued to come up with reasons for the audio issues, asserting that they were “melting the serves,” which they viewed as a “good sign.” Eventually, the entire audio ended, leaving many listeners confuse in a state of silence.
However, DeSantis’s team tweeted out, “It seems we broke the internet with so much excitement…” urging people to donate to the governor’s presidential campaign. That remained a consistent take from many who celebrated the amount of attention his campaign launch garnered on the social media giant.
The original Twitter Spaces conversation was not restored, and organizers started a new one, which was successful.
DeSantis discussed a range of issues during the conversation, from the way he handled the coronavirus in the Sunshine State — a crown jewel on his list of accomplishments — to his administration’s ongoing battle with Disney as well as the efforts he has made to keep Floridians safe from illegal immigration.
“I’ve put a lot of my capital as Florida governor involved in combating illegal immigration,” the governor said. “We banned sanctuary cities. My first year, we just did a strong anti-illegal immigration bill in Florida that’s working. I’ve put marine assets in the Florida Keys to help the Coast Guard repel boats from places like Haiti.”
“I have people at the southern border right now helping Texas and we’ve even been able to relocate illegal aliens to places like Martha’s Vineyard,” he touted. “So I don’t think any governor has probably gone out of his way to do more to try to make an impact on this issue. And I’m not going to take no for an answer. And I think our voters are sick of the empty promises. They want to see action.”
DeSantis stated during the conversation that he is in not the race for “fanfare,” explaining that it is about “producing results.”
“At the end of the day, this whole business that we’re in is about producing results. I don’t care about fanfare,” he said.
“I appreciate the well wishes. But I don’t need any of the fanfare. I don’t need any adulation. I just know I’m in a position where I have a chance to make a difference, and I’m either doing it or I’m not. And I remember sitting at the desk and in the state capitol my first day as governor four and a half years ago, I looked around the room. And I thought to myself, I don’t know what SOB is going to succeed me in this chair, but they are not going to have anything to do because I’m getting all the meat off the bone,” DeSantis said, explaining that he was determined to lean into issues and make an impact.
“We have done that in the state of Florida, and I bring that exact attitude up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” DeSantis added.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden initially mocked the campaign launch’s technical issues, seemingly forgetting that he, too, has been subject to them as well.
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