On Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis joined Elon Musk in a 21-minute Twitter Space as the controversial Florida powerhead announced his run for United States President. Well… he tried to.
More than 300,000 people attempted to attend the Twitter Space. For many, the entire app crashed three or four times throughout the 20-minute meeting. Musk and DeSantis struggled to hear each other, and, at one point, the Republican Governor dropped off the call entirely.
“We’ve got just a massive number of people online,” Elon Musk explained. “So the servers are straining somewhat.”
The Twitter Space ended after several minutes of silence, with the occasional sound of shuffling and throats clearing. “The servers keep crashing, huh?” Musk mumbled at one point, apparently unaware that listeners could still hear him.
The pair ironed out the technical struggles during a second Twitter Space. Amid his battle against The Walt Disney Company and various travel warnings for marginalized groups due to oppressive Florida laws, DeSantis vowed to protect free speech all the way to the White House.
DeSantis went from the Florida Governor to a national conservative figurehead during his battle against The Walt Disney Company. As part of his attempts to stop “wokeness” last year, he introduced the Parental Rights In Education Act, known popularly as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. The anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation restricts the discussion of sexuality in public schools and encourages teachers to out students to their parents – even if it puts them at risk.
Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against “Don’t Say Gay” following widespread protests, despite a direct warning from DeSantis. He promised to pause Disney’s donations to Republican political campaigns in the state and protect LGBTQIA+ Disney Cast Members and fans.
DeSantis passed legislation to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District at Walt Disney World Resort in response. The district previously allowed the Disney Parks to operate private, municipal services in the area, saving taxpayers millions. Disney later sued the Governor for retaliating against speech that the First Amendment should protect.
Did you tune into Gov. DeSantis’s Twitter Space on Wednesday? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.