Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race race, throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump. [Source]
This decision comes just days before the New Hampshire primary, leaving Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the primary contenders.
DeSantis, who was trailing in third place in New Hampshire’s polls, announced his withdrawal on social media, stating, “I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory.”
Despite DeSantis’s exit, Trump’s lead remains strong in New Hampshire, where he averages 48.9% in polls, compared to Haley’s 34.2%, as per FiveThirtyEight.
DeSantis’s endorsement of Trump further consolidates the former president’s position, with DeSantis citing, “I made a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honor that pledge. 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.” [Source]
Trump’s campaign expressed gratitude for the endorsement, stating that “Nikki Haley is the candidate of the globalists and Democrats who will do everything to stop the America First movement.”
Haley, who has received support from moderate Republicans like former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, remains determined. In New Hampshire, she addressed the crowd, “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.”
However, some conservative figures like commentator Mark Levin and Senator Rand Paul have openly criticized Haley, questioning her alignment with traditional Republican values.
The Democratic National Committee has taken this opportunity to comment on the GOP race, stating, “Ron DeSantis pinned his entire campaign’s hopes on the same extreme MAGA agenda that both Donald Trump and Nikki Haley are still running on, and now he is the latest member of the GOP to fall in line behind the original MAGA brand.”
DeSantis’s campaign, once seen as a clear alternative to Trump, faced setbacks and dwindling support amidst intense competition and attacks from Trump’s camp. Dan Eberhart, a top DeSantis donor, reflected on this, noting, “Ron DeSantis ran into a bump and the bump was named Trump.”
With the New Hampshire primary imminent, the party’s direction for 2024 becomes increasingly focused on Trump and Haley’s contrasting visions for America’s future.