On Sunday, January 21st, the announcement came that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had decided to withdraw from the race for president and instead throw his support behind former President Donald Trump. This decision came on the heels of DeSantis’s loss in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, January 15th, where he finished a distant second to Trump, trailing by a staggering 30 points.
DeSantis, who has been seen by many Republicans as their best shot at challenging Trump in the 2020 Republican primary, made the difficult choice to end his candidacy after realizing that he did not have a clear path to victory. Despite his best efforts to increase campaign stops and interviews to garner more positive results, DeSantis recognized that he couldn’t ask his supporters to continue volunteering their time and donating their resources when the odds were so stacked against him. In a video released on X (previously Twitter), DeSantis announced his decision to suspend his campaign, stating, “The lack of a clear path to victory makes it impossible for me to ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources. As a result, I am suspending my campaign today.”
It is clear that a majority of Republican primary voters have firmly decided to give Donald Trump a second chance. They have witnessed the Democrats relentlessly battling against him even after his presidency, with his administration constantly obstructed by strong opposition. Despite differences on issues like the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and Trump’s treatment of Dr. Anthony Fauci, DeSantis still believes that Trump is a better choice than the incumbent Joe Biden.
This news was met with gratitude from Trump himself, who expressed his appreciation for DeSantis’s gesture of support in an interview on Fox News. Trump stated, “I am very honored by this support from my old rival. I look forward to working with him to defeat Joe Biden, who is the worst and most corrupt president in our country’s history.”
In his withdrawal video, DeSantis also mentioned Nikki Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN, as another Republican primary opponent. He emphasized that he would stand by his promise to support the Republican candidate and explained his preference for Trump over Haley, stating, “He gets my vote because we must reject Nikki Haley’s repackaged corporatism and return to the traditional Republican practices of yesteryear.”
As a result of DeSantis’s departure, Haley has now become Trump’s primary Republican opponent. She addressed this news at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, praising DeSantis for his efforts and stating that she wishes him all the best. However, she also made it clear that she is still in the race, declaring that it is now down to “one man and one woman.”
Ron DeSantis, at just 45 years old, has dedicated a significant portion of his career to government and public service. He served as a Navy commander while still a law student at Harvard, and later worked as an assistant US attorney in Florida before being elected to the state’s House of Representatives in 2012. In 2018, DeSantis ran for the Republican nomination for governor of Florida, running on a platform that praised then-President Trump and highlighting his close ties to the former president. Despite being relatively unknown in the political arena, DeSantis narrowly won the race.
His old boss, Donald Trump, has now claimed victory against DeSantis in the presidential race and accused him of betrayal for running against him. However, DeSantis’s re-election as governor of Florida in 2022 by a comfortable margin of over 20% shows that he still has strong support from his constituents and remains a highly respected figure within the Republican Party.
In conclusion, Ron DeSantis’s decision to withdraw from the race for president and support Donald Trump reflects the challenging reality of the political landscape. Despite his best efforts, DeSantis recognized that he did not have a clear path to victory and made the difficult choice to suspend his campaign. His endorsement of Trump and rejection of Nikki Haley as a Republican opponent further underscore his commitment to traditional Republican values. As DeSantis continues to serve as governor of Florida, his future in politics remains bright, and his supporters eagerly await his next move.
