(USNewsMag.com) – On Jan. 21, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, 45, announced he was suspending his 2024 Republican presidential campaign, adding that he would support former President Donald Trump.
In a video DeSantis posted on Twitter, he stated he could not continue asking his supporters for their time and resources without “a clear path to victory.” He added that it was clear that “a majority of Republican primary voters” want Trump to have a second chance.
He stated he is endorsing Trump, adding, “We can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear.” He said, “The days of putting Americans last” are over.
In the video, DeSantis also calls out 2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, saying she represents a “repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism.” Haley responded to DeSantis’ comments, calling him “a good governor.” However, she added that she would let voters decide if it was “Trump and Biden again” or if there’s a new battle. Haley is the lone candidate still vying for the Republican presidential nomination against Trump.
Some DeSantis supporters have agreed with the governor’s decision, such as conservative radio commentator Steve Deace, who stated previously that it wasn’t quite DeSantis’ time.
The announcement follows DeSantis’ second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses and comes two days before the New Hampshire primary.
Trump won a record-breaking victory in Iowa, receiving 51 percent of the votes. DeSantis finished second, receiving 21 percent of the vote, while Haley finished third, receiving 19 percent. Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign on Jan. 15 after finishing fourth in Iowa. Trump dominated the state, winning all 99 counties in Iowa, except for one county, where he lost by just one vote.
DeSantis has three years left in his second term as Florida’s governor and is unable to run for governor again as he is term-limited. However, he has hinted that he could run for president again in 2028. DeSantis previously stated that some Trump supporters have already encouraged him to do so.
Copyright 2024, USNewsMag.com
