Florida governor Ron DeSantis on Sunday suspended his Republican presidential campaign days ahead of the New Hampshire primary and endorsed former US president Donald Trump.
The Republican, widely seen as an alternative to Donald Trump in the White House race in Florida as well as in other states, failed to meet the expectations that were raised when he announced his candidacy for the presidency.
His White House bid failed to meet expectations that he would emerge as a serious challenger to the former president. “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” he said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary comes Tuesday.
The Florida governor entered the 2024 presidential contest with major advantages and was expected to present a serious challenge to the Trump campaign 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 $100 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 — which he had vowed to win — by 30 percentage points to Trump.
And now, DeSantis’ political future is in question after suspending his presidential bid after just one voting contest. The 45-year-old is term-limited as Florida governor.
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