In a surprising turn of events, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination just two days before the New Hampshire primary. In a video posted on the social media platform X, where he had previously announced his White House bid, DeSantis cited a lack of a clear path to victory as the primary reason for his decision.
DeSantis, once considered a formidable opponent to former President Donald Trump, acknowledged his second-place finish in Iowa and expressed gratitude to his supporters. However, he emphasized that he couldn’t ask them to continue volunteering time and resources without a viable chance of success. The governor’s decision to suspend his campaign has left former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the only major contender alongside Trump in the Republican primary race.
Notably, DeSantis chose to endorse Donald Trump, the very candidate he initially sought to challenge. In his endorsement, DeSantis highlighted the preference of a majority of Republican primary voters to give Trump another chance. He criticized the prospect of returning to the “old Republican guard” represented by Nikki Haley, characterizing it as a repackaged form of “warmed-over corporatism.”
The endorsement comes after a series of challenges and missteps in DeSantis’s campaign. From financial troubles and staff shake-ups to a leak of a debate strategy memo and internal drama within the pro-DeSantis super PAC “Never Back Down,” the campaign faced hurdles that affected its momentum.
Despite his efforts to position himself as a viable alternative to Trump, DeSantis struggled to gain traction. His campaign, initially buoyed by a blowout 2022 re-election win in Florida, faced relentless attacks from pro-Trump groups, including the super PAC MAGA Inc. DeSantis’s messaging, centered around bringing his Florida blueprint to the nation, often took a backseat to internal campaign struggles.
In contrast, Trump welcomed DeSantis’s endorsement at a campaign event in Rochester, New Hampshire, thanking him for his support. The former president also touted endorsements from other former rivals, including Vivek Ramaswamy and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
The dynamics of the Republican primary have shifted with DeSantis’s exit, leaving Trump and Haley as the main contenders. Trump’s dominance in the polls and DeSantis’s endorsement further solidify his position as the frontrunner in the race. The New Hampshire primary, scheduled for Tuesday, will be a critical moment as the Republican Party faces its last chance to challenge the former president’s supremacy.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, the fallout from DeSantis’s decision and its impact on the remaining candidates will undoubtedly shape the narrative of the Republican primary in the coming weeks.