DeSantis spent the day on a media blitz and signed several bills into law while fundraisers called supporters for cash.
Phil Sears, File/AP Photo
MIAMI, Florida — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis supporters gathered at the Four Seasons for a three-day calling event being dubbed "Ron-O-Rama" to fundraise for the newly minted 2024 Republican candidate.
The fundraising blitz kicked off Wednesday as participants began doing what's known as "dialing for dollars" and receiving swag that included baseball hats, pens, and stress squeeze balls.
During a presentation given to donors on Thursday, advisers made the case that DeSantis could win the 2024 GOP nomination by showing polling data that had him leading in early voting states, and casting him as more conservative than Trump, according to The Messenger.
Politico also reported the polling information and was first to publish the Ron-O-Rama nickname, which Insider confirmed. DeSantis stopped in to greet the group in the early afternoon and is expected back during a reception this evening, the Miami Herald reported.
The campaign raised $1 million within an hour after its launch Wednesday on Twitter, though the event suffered through nearly 30 minutes of glitches before DeSantis was able to make his formal announcement.
DeSantis, 44, promised to "lead our great American comeback" and his formal entrance into the race puts him as the top rival against former President Donald Trump, though the ex-president is still a distant favorite and five other candidates are also seeking the nomination.
At the Four Seasons in the Brickell financial district of Miami, the Twitter audio-only event on Wednesday was broadcast over loudspeakers to the fundraisers during a reception in one of the hotel's ballrooms, according to an attendee. The event provided an open bar and guests were served shrimp, scallops, cheese, and chicken skewers.
Biscayne Bay-facing rooms at the hotel retail for $745 a night, according to the Four Seasons website.
Throughout the day Thursday, DeSantis hit the press circuit with 12 conservative TV, radio, and podcast interviews that included the Glenn Beck Program and Dana Loesch. He also signed numerous bills into law. One was a $2.7 billion tax cut that will do away with Florida's 6% sales tax on numerous items, including a permanent tax cut on baby needs and a temporary one on disaster preparedness products.
DeSantis told radio host Matt Murphy that he didn't regret going with Twitter, saying that he thought the event ended up having a higher reach than a traditional rally would have. The campaign has cast the Twitter malfunction as a sign of overwhelming interest in a DeSantis presidential run. By Thursday afternoon, the campaign was selling merch about the event.
—Kimberly Leonard (@leonardkl) May 25, 2023
Some pro-LGBTQ+ rights protestors gathered outside the DeSantis fundraiser on Thursday, but Insider observed they were being turned away from the entrance. One ate out of a chocolate pudding cup using three fingers, a nod to a story that went viral in the Daily Beast about the governor's eating habits.
The Miami Herald reported that more than 100 protesters gathered here Wednesday. Press were also not permitted inside the hotel.
