Ron DeSantis suspends his presidential bid before New Hampshire primary and endorses Donald Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his Republican presidential campaign on Sunday, ending his 2024 White House bid just before the New Hampshire primary while endorsing his bitter rival Donald Trump.
The decision leaves Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley as the last major candidates remaining in the race ahead of Tuesday바카라 게임 웹사이트s New Hampshire primary. This is the scenario Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s foes in the GOP have long sought, raising the stakes for this week바카라 게임 웹사이트s contest as the party바카라 게임 웹사이트s last chance to stop the former president who has so far dominated the race.
But as some Trump critics cheered, DeSantis nodded toward Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s primary dominance 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and attacked Haley 바카라 게임 웹사이트 in an exit video he posted on social media.
바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance," he said in , formerly known as Twitter.
He continued: 바카라 게임 웹사이트I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can바카라 게임 웹사이트t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Haley spoke at a campaigning stop in Seabrook, New Hampshire, just as DeSantis announced his decision.
바카라 게임 웹사이트He ran a great race, he바카라 게임 웹사이트s been a good governor, and we wish him well,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she told a room packed with supporters and media. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Having said that, it바카라 게임 웹사이트s now one fella and one lady left.바카라 게임 웹사이트
DeSantis' decision, while perhaps not surprising given his 30-point blowout loss last week in Iowa, marks the end of an extraordinary decline for a high-profile governor once thought to be a legitimate threat to Trump바카라 게임 웹사이트s supremacy in the Republican Party. After months of contentious exchanges, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone late Sunday during a rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, calling DeSantis a 바카라 게임 웹사이트really terrific person.바카라 게임 웹사이트
바카라 게임 웹사이트I also look forward to working with Ron바카라 게임 웹사이트 to win the general election, Trump said.
Video below: Hear Ron DeSantis' full remarks as he announced he is suspending his campaign
His record wasn't enough to overcome Trump
DeSantis entered the 2024 presidential contest with major advantages in his quest to take on Trump, and early primary polls suggested DeSantis was in a strong position to do just that. He and his allies amassed a political fortune well in excess of $130 million, and he boasted a significant legislative record on issues important to many conservatives, like abortion and the teaching of race and gender issues in schools.
Such advantages did not survive the reality of presidential politics in 2024. From a high-profile announcement that was plagued by technical glitches to constant upheavals to his staff and campaign strategy, DeSantis struggled to find his footing in the primary. He lost the Iowa caucuses 바카라 게임 웹사이트 which he had vowed to win 바카라 게임 웹사이트 by 30 percentage points to Trump.
His departure was days in the making
DeSantis바카라 게임 웹사이트 allies said that private discussions began shortly after Iowa to decide how to bow out of the race gracefully.
The Florida governor notified top donors and supporters of his decision through a series of phone conversations and text messages between senior campaign officials to top donors and supporters on Sunday afternoon, according to two people who received such communications. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose the private conversations.
Video below: Analysis: How presidential race is shaping up after Ron DeSantis' exit
DeSantis had returned to Florida by then after a roller-coaster weekend that included stops in South Carolina ahead of an event in New Hampshire Sunday evening that was ultimately canceled. The campaign also canceled a series of national television appearances earlier in the day, blaming the cancelation on a miscommunication with DeSantis바카라 게임 웹사이트 super PAC.
DeSantis was physically worn after spending weeks on the campaign with little, if any, time off, even as he stormed across frigid Iowa and New Hampshire, often without a winter coat.
A bitter rivalry comes to a meek end
He ultimately decided that he needed to endorse Trump given his popularity in the party despite the deeply personal feud between them.
바카라 게임 웹사이트While I바카라 게임 웹사이트ve had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent, Joe Biden. That is clear," said DeSantis, who is in his second and final term as Florida바카라 게임 웹사이트s governor, which ends in January 2027.
The endorsement was a stunning tail-between-his-legs moment for DeSantis, whom Trump has mercilessly and relentlessly taunted in deeply personal terms for the better part of a year now.
For Trump, whose team includes many former DeSantis staffers, the attacks have often felt more like sport than political strategy. Trump and his aides have blasted the governor as disloyal for running in the first place, mocked his eating habits and his personality and accused him of wearing high heels to boost his height.
DeSantis' team joined Trump in attacking Haley as news of his departure rippled across the political landscape. Some doubt Haley, who was seen as splitting Republican votes and preventing a head-to-head match up between Trump, would benefit from DeSantis바카라 게임 웹사이트 decision.
바카라 게임 웹사이트She will not be the nominee,바카라 게임 웹사이트 key DeSantis supporter Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told AP. 바카라 게임 웹사이트She will not be the president of the United States.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Trump had already shifted his focus to Haley in recent weeks, but minutes after DeSantis' announcement, the former president's campaign released a new memo highlighting the pressure on Haley to win New Hampshire.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Now that we are a mere 48 hours from the primary, the tone has shifted mightily. We see it, you see it, but make no mistake, if Nikki Haley loses in New Hampshire 바카라 게임 웹사이트 there are only two options,바카라 게임 웹사이트 wrote senior advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Option A: Nikki Haley drops out, unites behind President Trump, and commits to defeating Joe Biden," they wrote. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Option B: Nikki Haley prepares to be absolutely DEMOLISHED and EMBARASSED in her home state of South Carolina," which votes on Feb. 24.
바카라 게임 웹사이트Now, for some important advice," they continued. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Choose wisely.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Trump himself addressed DeSantis' departure shortly after it was announced during a stop at Manchester campaign headquarters, according to a video shared by his staff.
바카라 게임 웹사이트We just got some word that one of our opponents, very capable person, is dropping out of the race 바카라 게임 웹사이트 Ron DeSantis. And Ron is dropping out and, in doing so, he endorsed us,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Trump said to cheers, before a 바카라 게임 웹사이트Trump!바카라 게임 웹사이트 chant broke out in the room of volunteers.
Asked if he would be using the nickname 바카라 게임 웹사이트Ron DeSanctimonious바카라 게임 웹사이트: 바카라 게임 웹사이트I said that name is officially retired,바카라 게임 웹사이트 he said to loud cheers.
At roughly the same time not far away, DeSantis' dejected supporters gathered privately in the Manchester restaurant where he had been scheduled to speak.
Rep. James Spillane, of Deerfield, said he had initially backed Trump, switched to DeSantis and will now vote for Trump.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I had a suspicion this morning, and I had talked to some friends of mine saying the way I was hearing things shake out, I thought this was going to happen, and I was right," he said. "Unfortunately, DeSantis is not going to be able to make it forward. However, in the future, hopefully we can have a viable way forward in 2028.바카라 게임 웹사이트
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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro in Washington; Jill Colvin and Michelle L. Price in Manchester, New Hampshire; and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
