Ron DeSantis Ends His 2024 Presidential Campaign and Endorses Donald Trump

In a surprising turn of events, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, once considered Donald Trump's primary competition in the Republican presidential race, declared the end of his White House aspirations, as reported by Raw Story. The revelation, shared via a video on X, also included DeSantis showing his support for the former GOP President. This decision follows a second-place performance in the recent Iowa Republican caucuses, a setback that caught many off guard. Despite the shock of his runner-up status in Iowa, the real sting came from the uncomfortably narrow margin that separated him from third-place contender Nikki Haley. Even after a hefty expenditure exceeding $150 million between his campaign and a supportive super PAC, the outcome proved to be a humiliating defeat for DeSantis.

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." Moreover, he captioned the tweet, "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” He further emphasized his backing for Trump, affirming the belief that Trump was better than the current president, Joe Biden.

According to CNN, DeSantis further said, “I signed 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 or repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents." Furthermore, DeSantis arrived at this conclusion following several days of discussions with donors. The weekend brought forth a stark realization that there was insufficient justification and financial backing to sustain his candidacy. Consequently, Haley now stands as the sole alternative to Trump.

NBC News reporter Dasha Burns highlighted a key issue on Sunday, noting that Governor DeSantis faced a strategic problem by choosing loyalists over experts. Despite criticizing Trump and fellow Republicans for their deference to the former President, DeSantis ultimately endorsed Trump. This setback is damaging to the once-promising career of the GOP rising star. Opinions differ on whether DeSantis hesitated too long to challenge Trump or underestimated Haley. However, many believe that fighting the party from Trump's devoted followers was an insurmountable challenge for DeSantis.

DeSantis, aged 45 and with three years left in his second governorship term before term limits kick in, faces an uncertain future. Lately, he's been laying the groundwork for a potential 2028 candidacy, asserting that certain Trump supporters have already expressed their encouragement for such a move. He recently said, “They were coming up to me saying, ‘We want you in 2028, we love you, man.'”