In a surprising turn of events, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his withdrawal from the 2024 Republican presidential race and pledged his support for former President Donald Trump. This decision has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, leaving many to speculate on the implications for both DeSantis and the future of the Republican Party.
DeSantis, who had been seen as a rising star within the party, cited his commitment to serving as governor of Florida as the primary reason for stepping aside. He emphasized that he wanted to focus on continuing his work in Florida and delivering results for its citizens rather than engaging in a divisive presidential campaign. This move showcases DeSantis' dedication to governance and prioritizing the needs of his constituents over personal ambition.
DeSantis and his wife, Casey, left the advisers to have a private conversation in the upstairs residence. They decided he would pull the plug on a campaign that had no reasonable path forward. By the time they returned to the advisers, DeSantis had written down lines that would form part of the announcement that he was suspending the campaign.
The discussions at the Governor's Mansion were the culmination of nearly a week of conversations between DeSantis and his advisers that began last Monday night, shortly after he placed a distant second to former President Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses.
DeSantis' record in Florida was an anchor of his candidacy, often pointing to his response during the COVID-19 pandemic and legislative record on taxes, his handling of the state's budget taxes and his six-week abortion ban. He pointed to his 20-point re-election win in Florida as a data point of electoral success he'd have as the Republican nominee.
But since his glitchy launch on X (formerly Twitter) "spaces" in May 2023, DeSantis' campaign had struggled to create a convincing argument for voters to pick him over Trump.
He saw his polling gap with Trump in the early states widen as the former president went on the attack against him, claiming he was disloyal and disparaging him "DeSanctimonious." Trump's campaign and allies spent millions on anti-DeSantis ads and trolled him on his personality, his footwear and internal dysfunction with his campaign.
DeSantis looked to establish strong momentum in the early contests in the nation, campaigning in all of Iowa's 99 counties. He picked up the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and evangelical Christian leader Bob Vander Plaats, who had a record of endorsing past candidates who went on to win the Iowa GOP caucuses.
But after the caucuses in the Hawkeye state concluded, DeSantis split his focus between the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire, and the upcoming contest in South Carolina.
Toward the end of his campaign, DeSantis began to throw harder jabs at Trump himself. During a visit to New Hampshire in December, DeSantis said he thought Trump wouldn't accept the results of the contests.
"If Trump loses, he will say it's stolen no matter what, absolutely," he told reporters. "He will try to delegitimize the results."
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