Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to formally announce in a "virtual" way on May 24 that he is running for President, three sources familiar with the planning told CBS News on Thursday.
DeSantis plans to file papers with the Federal Election Commission to officially establish his presidential candidacy. The Miami gathering, which includes some of the governor's most generous longtime donors, are expected to receive briefings on campaign strategy and requests to help raise significant sums of cash for his bid, three people familiar with the plans said.
A more formal kickoff event is expected to be held closer to June 1, according to those familiar with his plans. It is likely to occur in DeSantis's hometown of Dunedin, Florida, sources familiar with the plans said.
A DeSantis spokesman declined to comment on the timing for an announcement.
The report comes a day after The Wall Street Journal reported that DeSantis will officially enter the race for president next week as his campaign donors begin a fundraising blitz.
Asked in Sarasota on Monday if he'd announce a run within the next 15 days, DeSantis noted he had "a couple more things left on the [legislative] agenda," including the state budget.
DeSantis has been actively preparing for a campaign and is currently running second in polls to former President Donald Trump, who has opened up a sizable lead in recent weeks. A number of analysts and people close to Trump expect DeSantis will gain back some ground after becoming an official candidate.
Trump has warned DeSantis against running for president in 2024, saying, “I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it. I don’t think it would be good for the party.”
Several other Republicans have already launched campaigns to challenge Trump — including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson — but they have largely failed to gain much traction in the polls.
Republicans who are also weighing potential campaigns include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was also mentioned as a possible contender, but he officially announced recently that he has decided not to run.