Ron DeSantis ends his struggling presidential bid before New Hampshire and endorses Donald Trump
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made the decision to end his presidential campaign after facing challenges in convincing Republicans to veer away from their loyalty to former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis' campaign hit a roadblock with a disappointing second-place finish in Iowa, despite pouring significant resources into an aggressive get-out-the-vote effort. Rather than establishing a presence in other early voting states like New Hampshire and South Carolina, DeSantis focused exclusively on Iowa, which ultimately did not yield the desired results.
Initially considered a formidable challenger to Trump, DeSantis failed to gain traction in the primary as Trump garnered increasing support and dominated the polls, culminating in a resounding victory in Iowa.
On Sunday, DeSantis officially endorsed Trump for president, stating, "[Trump] has my endorsement because we cannot go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents."
Initially, DeSantis tried to avoid criticizing the former president who had helped him win the governorship in 2018. However, in recent months, he began to argue that Trump had lost his edge and failed to fulfill his previous promises, such as building a border wall.
With his campaign coming to an end, speculation about DeSantis' future in politics immediately arises. The 45-year-old governor has repeatedly ruled out serving as a running mate for either Trump or former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, expressing a preference to return to Florida and complete his term as governor. However, questions remain about how his decision to challenge Trump will impact his future political endeavors, including a possible run in 2028.
Trump has consistently criticized DeSantis for being disloyal and suggested that DeSantis would have left politics altogether if not for Trump's help. Tensions between DeSantis and Haley also reached a boiling point ahead of the Iowa caucuses, with her allies labeling DeSantis as weak, and him retorting that she is mealy-mouthed.
READ MORE:
DeSantis gained national prominence after his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, where he pushed back against mask and vaccine mandates, as well as lockdowns. He further solidified his reputation through high-profile battles on issues of race, gender identity, and even clashed with entertainment giant Disney over legislation regarding sexual orientation education in lower grades.
Throughout his campaign, DeSantis carefully navigated the delicate balance of not directly criticizing Trump, despite media pressures. He made it clear that he did not want to "smear" the former president, despite the media's desire for him to do so.