The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBTQ rights advocate, has responded to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' announcement that he's seeking the GOP presidential nomination, saying that it will mobilize millions of equality voters against the governor's campaign.

After months of speculation, DeSantis announced his 2024 presidential ambitions in a video posted on Twitter.

“I'm running for president to lead our Great American Comeback,” he captioned the video.

The announcement was followed by an interview on Twitter Spaces hosted by Elon Musk, who recently purchased the social media company. The event was plagued with glitches, leaving thousands unable to join the conversation.

In a statement, HRC called out DeSantis' record on LGBTQ rights and pledged to keep his “authoritarianism from reaching the White House.”

“DeSantis has weaponized his position as governor to target and punish anyone he considers his political enemy, including LGBTQ+ families, Black and brown Floridians, immigrants and private businesses,” said HRC President Kelley Robinson. “Even with the majority of Floridians forcefully opposing his anti-LGBTQ laws and despite surging support for LGBTQ+ families nationally, DeSantis is failing to recognize the duties of the job for which he’s campaigning. The ‘freedom’ Ron Desantis peddles is freedom for a very few at the expense of freedom and liberty for all.”

“The Human Rights Campaign will work to mobilize the 62 million ‘Equality Voters’ — for whom LGBTQ+ equality is a make-or-break issue — to stand together in opposition to DeSantis’ candidacy, and to ensure that his destructive path of weaving hate and bigotry into public law will end at the Florida border,” she added.

The group's statement came after it joined a handful of civil rights organizations in issuing a travel advisory for LGBTQ people visiting the Sunshine State. In its travel advisory, the NAACP warned that recent laws and policies championed by DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

The pressure campaign is in response to what HRC called “Florida's most anti-LGBTQ legislative session in history.”

“Governor DeSantis has weaponized his position to weave bigotry, hate, and discrimination into public law for his own political gain,” Robinson said in a statement. “Those who visit [Florida] must join us in their vocal opposition to these dangerous policies.”