WASHINGTON – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew from the Republican presidential race on Sunday, less than two days before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.
DeSantis, who placed second in the nation’s first caucuses in Iowa on Jan. 15, posted a nearly five-minute video on social media announcing that he had suspended his campaign and was supporting the front-runner, former President Donald Trump.
“After our second-place finish at Iowa, we prayed and thought about the path forward,” DeSantis said. “If I could do anything to get a positive result, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources. We don’t have a clear path to victory.”
While DeSantis said he has had disagreements with Trump, including over how he handled COVID-19 as president, the governor said he believes Trump is “superior” to President Joe Biden.
“He has my support because we cannot go back to the old Republican guard of yesterday, or the repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents,” DeSantis said, referring to the former U.N. ambassador from South Carolina, who seeks the nomination. “The days of putting Americans last, bowing to big corporations and pandering to woke ideology are over.”
Haley said at a campaign rally in New Hampshire that she wished DeSantis well and noted that the Republican presidential primary is now just her and Trump.
“Fourteen people took part in this race. There were a lot of guys there. “All the boys are out except this one,” she said, according to a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “And it depends on what you want: Do you want more of the same or do you want something new?”
Haley said in a written statement that the campaign for the Republican nomination is far from over.
“So far only one state has voted. “Half the votes went to Donald Trump, the other half didn’t,” she said. “We are not a country of coronations. Voters deserve a say in whether we go down the path of Trump and Biden again or chart a new conservative path. New Hampshire voters will have their say on Tuesday.”
The Trump campaign thanked DeSantis for his support and disparaged Haley in a written statement.
“Nikki Haley is the globalist, Democratic candidate who will do everything to stop the America First movement,” the Trump campaign said. “From higher taxes to cutting Social Security and Medicare to opening the borders, she represents Democratic views more than Republicans.”
Democratic National Committee press secretary Sarafina Chitika rebuked DeSantis in a written statement, saying his campaign was based on “banning abortions nationwide, cutting access to health care, and cutting Social Security and Medicare, while welcoming election deniers and denying the election.” January 6th glossed over.”
“Whichever candidate wins the race for the MAGA base will continue with the same dangerous and unpopular anti-freedom agenda that voters will reject in November,” Chitika said.
Montana Republican Senator Steve Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, posted on social media that all Republican lawmakers should stand behind Trump.
“Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee,” Daines wrote. “I encourage every Republican to unite behind him because it will take all of us to defeat Joe Biden, take back the Senate and hold the House.”
Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, chairman of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, posted on social media that he now supports Trump for president.
“It is my honor to fully support Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States,” Good wrote. “President Trump has been the greatest president of my lifetime, and we need him to restore the policies that have worked so well for America.”
Jacob Fischler contributed to this report.
