DeSantis ditches plans for hometown event as part of formal 2024 rollout

By Steve Contorno, CNN

(CNN) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is no longer planning to hold an event in his hometown of Dunedin as part of the formal launch of his campaign, a person with knowledge of the rollout plans told CNN.

Instead, after officially announcing his campaign for president Wednesday with Elon Musk on Twitter Spaces, the site’s audio platform, DeSantis is likely to hit the road and make appearances in the coming days in early nominating states.

It’s not yet clear if he plans to travel during Memorial Day weekend or start Tuesday after the holiday. He is scheduled to attend an event Thursday in Miami, where he has gathered fundraisers to begin soliciting donations for his campaign.

DeSantis’ political team had previously planned to make his first public appearance next Tuesday as an official candidate in Dunedin, the coastal Tampa Bay suburb where he grew up and rose to local fame as a Little League star. However, they pivoted from the hometown event as they formalized an announcement on Twitter.

The last-minute change is emblematic of the DeSantis operation to date, which has adjusted its timeline for a launch repeatedly in recent weeks. CNN previously reported that DeSantis often surprises even close aides and advisers, and a source suggested he may be further motivated to throw out the script to vex the media outlets who have preempted his announcement.

The-CNN-Wire
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