The media really doesn’t like Ron DeSantis, so it’s a given that they’d gnash teeth and clutch pearls over his announcing a run for President. But even I couldn’t predict how laughable their meltdown is.

This is an actual headline from Vanity Fair. 

Report: Ron DeSantis Will Formally Announce His 2024 Bid With Elon Musk, Because Apparently David Duke Wasn’t Available

Yes folks, it’s real. And the article isn’t any better. 

After many months of refusing to confirm what so many people already suspected, Ron DeSantis will reportedly announce on Wednesday that he is running for president. And that’s not all: He is said to be planning to formally jump into the 2024 race during a conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk, because apparently other neo-Nazi sympathizers weren’t available.

~Snip

As NBC News notes, aligning with Musk and his 140 million followers could give DeSantis a “significant boost,” but there’s also an obvious downside to teaming up with a guy who has said and done terrible things—and who has turned Twitter into a safe haven for hate speech; given a new home to Tucker “Great Replacement Theory” Carlson; and made remarks about George Soros that the Anti-Defamation League said would “embolden extremists.”

Why not throw in the kitchen sink as well? I mean, how DARE Ron DeSantis and his team go against the media norms? How dare he diss his media and political betters?? 

Maggie Haberman of the New York Times is equally dismissive of this particular campaign move. She’s crossed fingers, eyes, and toes in hopes that Twitter Space will glitch out during the conversation. And desperately wants Trump to tweet bomb Twitter during the same. 

Number two, you’re dealing with two people, Elon Musk, and Ron DeSantis, who are not known, as charismatic, interviewees, or talkers. So, I don’t know what that’s going to look like.

But I do think — I understand and, you know, the logic of it. If you are Ron DeSantis, and you have lost all this ground, in the last couple of months, you have to do something, to get attention. And this is a way that you can raise, small-dollar donations, from people.

What Trump does to respond is anyone’s guess. It’s not only that he hasn’t been much on Twitter. He hasn’t been at all on Twitter.

Keep in mind, Trump has been living rent-free in Maggie’s head since he announced in 2016, so yes, she desperately wants Trump to DO SOMETHING so she can write about it. 

The Atlantic penned a doleful screed lamenting the fact that many conservatives aren’t bowing to their brilliance and are instead using non-traditional methods to get their messaging out. 

Now the site itself has unquestionably transformed under his leadership into an alternative social-media platform—one that offers a haven to far-right influencers and advances the interests, prejudices, and conspiracy theories of the right wing of American politics.

Earlier today, NBC News reported that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is slated to kick off his 2024 presidential campaign in a Twitter Spaces event with Musk. Twitter, quite literally, is a launch pad for right-wing political leaders.

HOW DARE THEY??!! 

It was totally fine when the media and Democrats ruled the Twitter roost. But now, that their shenanigans have been uncovered, anyone using the site who is a conservative, is a racist bigot. 

So, if this is really an "alt-tech platform" that is only for Right Wingers, why are you here? Same question for Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and AOC? We all know the answer. It's because what you say for clout and the truth aren't the same thing.

— John Hawkins (@johnhawkinsrwn) May 23, 2023

Good question. Meanwhile, The Root commences with scare-mongering and disinformation.

Ron DeSantis’ governorship—which started in 2019—has featured racist attacks on critical race theory/diversity initiatives, anti-trans legislation and policies that only made Covid-19 worse. Now, he plans on taking his white supremacist rhetoric to the national stage by making a 2024 presidential bid for the White House.

DeSantis will announce the news with Twitter CEO and fellow bigot Elon Musk during an online talk. Musk will host DeSantis on Twitter Spaces, the social media app’s for live audio chats, on Wednesday (May 24) at 6 p.m. ET. David Sacks, who is an avid DeSantis supporter and tech entrepreneur, is scheduled to moderate the discussion.

Isn’t that something? This is the same publication that is likely ok with the NAACP issuing that asinine travel advisory while board members enjoy life in their spacial homes …in FLORIDA. 

I never heard of The Rational National before, but this guy is absolutely certain that this afternoon’s announcement will be a clown show. 

I’d say it’s more like he and the rest of the media are hoping the announcement will be dull as dishwater so they can run all the “I TOLD YOU SO!” stories. And if that doesn’t work, they’ll pick lots of nits in order to further that narrative somehow, someway. 

And now Bill Kristol suddenly likes Trump??!!

DeSantis entering the race leads to Strange New Respect for Trump from the most unlikely places, huh? pic.twitter.com/rmztOCu3wc

— David Reaboi, Late Republic Nonsense (@davereaboi) May 24, 2023

Ron DeSantis hasn’t and isn’t playing the media’s game. Nor is he bowing to their brilliance. They hate that with the passion of a thousand suns. 

If you think the meltdown reaction prior to his announcement is laughable, just wait until the post-announcement reaction hits the airwaves!

Feature Photo Credit: Ron DeSantis by Gage Skidmore via Flickr, cropped and modified