ORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to announce his presidential candidacy in an online interview with Twitter CEO Elon Musk Wednesday night.

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While the announcement hasn’t surprised anyone, the timing is raising some questions.

John Hanley, a political science professor at the University of Central Florida, said the timing of the pending announcement isn’t off, at least not to him.

Video: DeSantis expected to announce presidential bid online Wednesday (WFTV)

“For DeSantis, I think the calendar was set around the end of this legislative session,” Hanley said.

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The legislative session thas been jam-packed with the governor signing dozens of new conservative bills into law, something Hanley said DeSantis will use in his favor.

“It’s going to be a checklist for him to say, ‘I’m a good conservative, I’m very effective and I should be the nominee of this party,’” Hanley said.

Hanley said it all comes down to money.

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“Up until now, he’s been able to work, especially with the Super PAC, but that doesn’t enable him to collect money for his own campaign,” Hanley said. “The Super PAC has to be separate when he’s running, so this is going to enable him to collect money for his own candidacy.”

As for former President Donald Trump leading DeSantis in the polls by about 35 points, Hanley said this poses as “a huge challenge for DeSantis, because it’s difficult as an outsider to run against someone who enjoys so much support and, really, adoration of the Republican party.”

“He’s really going to have to take on Donald Trump, he’s really going to have to slay this dragon.”

READ: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce he’s running for president during discussion with Elon Musk

Gov. Ron DeSantis was the keynote speaker at Orlando Gala Saturday Gov. Ron DeSantis was the keynote speaker at Orlando Gala Saturday

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