Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ended his Republican presidential campaign in the United States just before the New Hampshire primary and endorsed Donald Trump, after failing to emerge as a serious challenger for the White House in the face of 77-year-old former president.
DeSantis’ decision comes less than two days before the New Hampshire primary, in which polls showed him far behind front-runner Trump and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.
“It is clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” the 45-year-old said in a video published Sunday on X.
In the video, DeSantis then attacked Haley, long his closest rival for second place in the primary race, saying Republicans “can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of reheated corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
At a Sunday evening rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, Trump put aside months of criticism and mockery of DeSantis to praise the governor, saying he looked forward to working together to defeat the President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee.
“I just want to thank Ron and congratulate him on doing a really good job,” Trump said at the start of his speech. “He was very kind and supportive. I appreciate that and also look forward to working with Ron. Trump described DeSantis as “a truly great person.”
Trump accused Haley of forming an “unholy alliance” with liberals, never-Trumpers and so-called RINOs, or Republicans in Name Only, to try to win the New Hampshire primary.
When DeSantis ran for president in 2024, early primary polls suggested he was in a strong position to beat Trump, who is facing several court cases notably for interference in the 2020 presidential election.
The Florida governor has amassed a campaign war chest well in excess of $100 million, backed by a strong legislative record on important questions for many conservatives such as abortion and the teaching of race and gender issues in schools.
But he failed to make progress and connect with voters.
From a high-profile X ad plagued by technical issues to constant upheaval in his team and campaign strategy, DeSantis has struggled to find his footing in the primary. He lost the Iowa caucuses — which he vowed to win — by 30 percentage points to Trump, just ahead of Haley.
DeSantis and Haley have frequently attacked each other in debates and advertising, often more directly than Trump.
David Kochel, a Republican strategist who has worked on five presidential campaigns, said DeSantis’ departure would likely not change the fundamental contours of the campaign, given that his support has collapsed.
“The race needs a big dynamic change, and I don’t think DeSantis dropping out is that big of a deal because there wasn’t much happening in New Hampshire, and there wasn’t even much happening in South Carolina,” he said.
Trump vs. Haley
Trump holds a double-digit lead over Haley in New Hampshire, according to polls, and his campaign team hopes a second straight victory will make his eventual nomination all but inevitable.
The former reality TV star’s campaign urged Republicans to rally behind him, dismissing Haley as “the candidate of the globalists and Democrats.”
“It’s time to choose wisely,” the statement said.
Trump also has a sizable lead in South Carolina, where voting will take place on February 24. A defeat for Haley in her home state — where she served as governor from 2011 to 2017 — would likely mean the end of her campaign.
At a campaign event in Seabrook, New Hampshire, Haley drew cheers when she announced that DeSantis had dropped out.
“For now, I leave you with this: May the best woman win,” she said.
With time running out, Haley has stepped up her attacks on Trump, blaming the former president for Republican election defeats in 2020 and 2022 and criticizing his praise of authoritarian leaders.
In a statement, Haley said the United States was “not a country of coronations.”
“So far only one state has voted. Half of his votes went to Donald Trump, and the other half didn’t… Voters deserve their say on whether we follow the path of Trump and Biden again, or take a new path conservative,” she said.
DeSantis’ withdrawal from the presidential race also calls into question his political future. The 45-year-old can only serve two terms as Florida governor.
His last term ends in January 2027.
