Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) inched closer to announcing a 2024 presidential campaign during a press conference on Thursday.
"These things will happen in relatively due course," DeSantis said in response to a question about his presidential ambitions. "The season is what it is. There is only so much time."
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The Florida governor said his primary focus when reelected as chief executive was to deliver conservative promises to his constituents. "I'm going to use this opportunity to do what I promised," he said. "I've been really intent on doing that." DeSantis also touted his victories over the past months: "Of the things that we said we were going to do, I don't think there's anything that we haven't done."
A few of the measures DeSantis has signed into law this year include legislation that tightens bail reform efforts, a bill that restricts abortions after six weeks, and legislation that allows the death penalty on child rapists.
Despite not being a candidate, DeSantis consistently trails former President Donald Trump in national polling — ahead of all other 2024 hopefuls.
The former president has attacked DeSantis on his social media platform, Truth Social, and has boasted about his poll leads over DeSantis. Never Back Down, a super PAC backing DeSantis, has taken to blasting ads criticizing Trump in South Carolina, New Hampshire, Iowa, and Nevada, all crucial early primary states.
As the proxy war continues between the two men, tech billionaire Peter Thiel said on Thursday that if DeSantis can defeat Trump for the nomination, he would "strongly support him."
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Meanwhile, DeSantis is expected to announce a campaign in the wake of Florida's legislative session wrapping up on Friday. DeSantis has traveled to some of the early primary states ahead of his expected campaign launch. He will also travel to the conservative Morning in Nevada PAC's eighth annual basque fry on June 17.