DeSantis will join 2024 race NEXT WEEK

Ron DeSantis is set to announce his highly-anticipated White House run next week after going on a charm offensive across the country while trailing Donald Trump in the polls.  

The 44-year-old will file the necessary paperwork to run for president with U.S. election authorities on May 25 after signing a flurry of bills passed in the Florida legislature, according to two sources close to the governor.

Among the laws he has approved include a ban of gender reassignment surgery for children, a crackdown on illegal immigration, restrictions on equity and a bill that allows him to enter the Republican race without resigning. 

It also follows a tour across the country - where he roared with laughter with diners in Iowa - and an overseas trip which included his 'bobblehead' moment with reporters in Japan.

His bow that's been months in the making will take place at the same time as a Miami fundraising event for the former congressman where donors are set to be put to 'work,' Reuters first reported.

Laughing all the way to the White House? Ron DeSantis leans his head back and cackles during an event with voters in Iowa last week 

Anticipated presidential candidate Ron DeSantis will formally enter the 2024 race for the White House next week

A formal campaign launch is then expected to take place the following week of May 29 at an undisclosed location. A specific date has not been made clear, but it is expected to occur after the Memorial Day federal holiday.

The Republican lawmaker has become former President Donald Trump's biggest rival for the GOP nomination - although both men were one-time allies during Trump's spell in the White House. 

Body language expert gives DailyMail.com her view on why 'bobblehead' Ron DeSantis looked so animated when asked about trailing Trump in the polls 

DeSantis appeared alongside his wife Casey in Tokyo when the awkward exchanged occured

Trump has lashed out at DeSantis in recent weeks, branding him with one of his infamous derogatory nicknames - 'Ron Desanctimonious.'

The anticipated date for his presidential announcement comes as a video of DeSantis roaring with laughter emerged online, as the 2024 hopeful makes an apparent effort to loosen up.

The video, which first aired on C-Span, shows the governor engaged in a conversation with a man at a classic car show in Iowa on May 13. 

DeSantis, who at times appears not to be at ease talking to voters, asks: 'I saw that you have like a 1955 Porsche in there. That one's nice. How much is that worth?'

'Ugh, we won't even talk about that,' the man responds. DeSantis was clearly tickled by the remark and flung his head back to give a hearty-open-mouthed guffaw.

He will need to turn around a widening gulf in the opinion polls, with many voter surveys showing the Trump as the runaway favorite to win the Republican primary. 

The Sunshine State's governor had said he planned to stay out of the presidential race until the latest session of the Florida legislature had been completed - which occurred the first week in May.

A U.S. Navy veteran, DeSantis rose to prominence nationwide due to his staunch opposition to Covid-era restrictions.

He has also fought a 'war on woke', attacking Disney for criticizing his so-called 'Don't Say Gay' law that banned LGBT education in schools.

The owner of the famous Walt Disney World resort in Orlando has filed a lawsuit against DeSantis after state officials pulled the plug on a development deal at the theme park.

Trump has lashed out at DeSantis in recent weeks, branding him with one of his infamous derogatory nicknames - 'Ron Desanctimonious'

A video of DeSantis appearing flustered during a question about his falling poll numbers has been viewed 7.7 million tims in just one clip shared to Twitter

Florida lawmakers then voted to restructure the special district that had been created around Disney World.

It handed DeSantis the power to appoint members to the district's governing board that the movie giant says amounts to illegal state interference in its business affairs. 

Ex-president Trump said his possible presidential had been 'outplayed, outsmarted, and embarrassed by Mickey Mouse'.

DeSantis has also signed new laws on capital punishment, banning transgender therapy for minors and abortion in a bid to outflank Trump on the right. 

Florida now bans pregnant women from accessing termination after six weeks, a move that Trump himself criticized as too harsh.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill banning sex reassignment surgeries and medications such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for children.

DeSantis, who is expected to launch a bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in the coming weeks, has staked part of his political future on cultural issues surrounding LGBTQ rights.

The Florida law, known as Senate Bill 254, which was passed last month by the state legislature, bans sex change surgeries for minors. It also prohibits doctors from giving minors drugs or performing state-funded 'gender-affirming' medical procedures if they are under the age of 18.

DeSantis was reelected as governor just last year, trouncing his Democratic opponent by nearly 20 percentage points.

While he is now way behind the 76-year-old real estate mogul, DeSantis initially beat out Trump in the first GOP primary polls last year.

The winner of any Republican primary would almost certainly go up against incumbent Joe Biden.

Only no-hopers Robert F Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist, and self-help author Marianne Williamson have declared an intention to stand in the Democratic primaries.