Ron Desantis drops out of Republican Presidential run and endorses Donald Trump
Ron Desantis drops out of Republican Presidential run and endorses Donald Trump.
The decision comes just two days before the New Hampshire primary.
DeSantis conveyed the announcement in a video on X — the same social media platform where he launched his White House bid.
“Now, following our second-place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward,” he 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. We don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”
“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” he said, adding: “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
Haley responded to the news from the campaign trail in New Hampshire: "I want to say to Ron, he ran a great race. He’s been a good governor, and we wish him well. Having said that, it’s now one fella and one lady left."
Since securing second place in Iowa on Monday, DeSantis’ campaign has sent mixed signals to voters, donors, and lower-level aides, creating confusion about his intentions for the rest of the campaign.
He traveled directly to South Carolina from Iowa, apparently aiming to emphasize his commitment to staying in the race at least until that state’s late-February primary.
However, he oscillated between South Carolina and New Hampshire, scheduling events in the Granite State with little warning for supporters and undecided voters who wanted to see him before Tuesday’s primary. He also quietly returned to Florida on Thursday without providing a public explanation.
He canceled appearances on Sunday-morning television programs, including NBC’s “Meet the Press,” late on Saturday. The campaign also directed surrogates to stand down from planned television appearances on Sunday, according to one of the surrogates.
By Sunday morning, advisers and donors reported they did not know whether he would drop out but had started speculating that he might. A source familiar with DeSantis’ campaign said he made the decision to exit the race on Sunday afternoon.
DeSantis’ decision came as an unexpected surprise to allies at Never Back Down, the pro-DeSantis super PAC that cannot coordinate with the governor’s campaign. One official with the PAC was en route to New Hampshire for more DeSantis events as the news broke. “Do you think I’d be going there if I thought otherwise?” the official said when asked if they had heard rumors of a DeSantis dropout.
Trump and his allies began dropping hints that a DeSantis withdrawal was imminent on Saturday night, with Trump suggesting as much at a rally in Manchester.
“We might get Ron DeSantis back onside pretty soon,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a Trump supporter close to the governor before the 2024 campaign began, on Sunday.