It is official. Ron DeSantis backed down. The Florida governor announced on Sunday night that he was ending his bid for the presidency as he believes the Republican voters have spoken.
His decision came just two days before the New Hampshire primary, which was now down to a two-person race.
In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, DeSantis said, “If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it, but I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”
DeSantis said further, “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
“They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him.”
While acknowledging their differences in the past, DeSantis stood behind former President Donald Trump, who maintained a remarkable lead against his rivals and pledged his support.
“Trump is superior to the current incumbent, that is clear. I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He [Trump] has my endorsement,” DeSantis added.
DeSantis also hit Nikki Haley, saying that the GOP “can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
The Florida governor ended his bid after finishing second in the Iowa caucuses with 21% vote, 30 percentage points behind Trump who gained the highest vote in the state’s history.
DeSantis’ surrender leaves Nikki Haley the only alternative to Trump, but the former South Carolina governor needs to drum up her campaign to match the current front-runner.
The governor began the competition with a bright prospect, early primary polls reveal that he is in a strong position to contend with Trump. However, DeSantis struggled as the campaign began — facing technical glitches, confronted with his controversial policies, and questionable campaign strategy, thus concluded the Iowa caucuses to second.
Many quipped that DeSantis’ dilemma was a result of his own failed decisions, which began when he chose to announce his presidential campaign on X with its owner, Elon Musk. During the conversation, he suffered technical glitches, where his opening remarks became inaudible.
The Florida governor struggled to connect with voters and even irked fellow politicians during his campaign visits.
In July last year, DeSantis dismissed about 40 of his staff to reduce costs. During the eve of Thanksgiving, DeSantis’ Super PAC team lost its chief executive, Chris Jankowski, who expressed that his differences at the group went “well beyond” strategic arguments. By November 26, Adam Laxalt, chairman of the group, also resigned.
With DeSantis now gone, Trump has successfully frustrated three of his most prominent rivals.
The Florida governor now focuses on serving his remaining term in the big state, which will end in January 2027.
