Current:Home > InvestThe new Twitter account @DeSantisJet tracks the Florida governor's air travel -InvestPioneer
The new Twitter account @DeSantisJet tracks the Florida governor's air travel
View
Date:2025-04-18 02:59:43
A new Twitter account is tracking the state government jet used by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — and providing updates after the plane lands.
Jack Sweeney, the 20-year-old who created the popular Twitter page tracking billionaire Elon Musk's private jet, recently debuted the new account following the Florida governor.
Sweeney told NPR that he doesn't have a specific goal in mind for @DeSantisJet other than to "share the information and make it available to everybody that might be interested."
He said he had been intending to create an account following Florida's government jet and eventually got around to it, given the buzz around the expected Republican presidential hopeful.
"It was on my list to do, and with all the things going on, I thought it would be good to bring transparency there to everybody and bring my abilities for everyone else to see where the jet is going," Sweeney said.
Neither the Florida governor's office nor a DeSantis political spokesperson replied to a request for comment.
It's not uncommon for governors — especially those in large states — to take government-owned planes or helicopters on official business. But DeSantis has been criticized for how he's used taxpayer-funded aircraft in the past.
The nonprofit watchdog Integrity Florida said recently that the governor was traveling on a state plane to attend events that resembled campaign rallies, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The group's research director, Ben Wilcox, accused DeSantis of "really blurring the lines between what is considered campaign activity and his public duties of the office," a charge the governor's office denied.
The Twitter account notes that tracked flights "do not guarantee that DeSantis is onboard." Sweeney, an information technology major at the University of Central Florida, said he may also try to track any flights DeSantis takes on the private planes of his political donors.
In December, the account Sweeney created to track Musk's jet was was suspended after Musk bought Twitter and said the account posed a personal safety risk.
A version of the account is back up but provides tracking information on Musk's jet with a 24-hour delay. The page following DeSantis's jet is also delayed by one day.
Sweeney also posts flight tracking information for certain jets he follows on other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook.
veryGood! (2995)
Related
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- A $1.6 billion lawsuit alleges Facebook's inaction fueled violence in Ethiopia
- Missouri man convicted as a teen of murdering his mother says the real killer is still out there
- Many Nations Receive Failing Scores on Climate Change and Health
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Warming Trends: A Facebook Plan to Debunk Climate Myths, ‘Meltdown’ and a Sad Yeti
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: This $360 Backpack Is on Sale for $79 and It Comes in 8 Colors
- The overlooked power of Latino consumers
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- An Indiana Church Fights for Solar Net-Metering to Save Low-Income Seniors Money
Ranking
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Fox News' Sean Hannity says he knew all along Trump lost the election
- Across America, Five Communities in Search of Environmental Justice
- With Coal’s Dominance in Missouri, Prospects of Clean Energy Transition Remain Uncertain
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- These could be some of the reasons DeSantis hasn't announced a presidential run (yet)
- Thousands of children's bikes recalled over handlebar issue
- Southwest cancels 5,400 flights in less than 48 hours in a 'full-blown meltdown'
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Was your flight to Europe delayed? You might be owed up to $700.
Here’s What Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick’s Teenage Daughters Are Really Like
New HIV case linked to vampire facials at New Mexico spa
Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
New York bans pet stores from selling cats, dogs and rabbits
Investigation: Many U.S. hospitals sue patients for debts or threaten their credit
After the Fukushima disaster, Japan swore to phase out nuclear power. But not anymore