Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has halted his 2024 presidential campaign, throwing his support behind former President Donald Trump. DeSantis’ decision to suspend his campaign was announced on Sunday, following his consistent second-place standing in the race.
In his announcement, DeSantis highlighted the importance of politicians serving the people, not the other way around. He stressed the significance of action over words, stating, “Reversing the decline of this nation requires leadership that delivers big results for the people we are elected to serve. I have a record of leading with conviction, championing an agenda marked by bold colors, delivering on my promises, and defeating the people who are responsible for our nation’s decline. That is the type of leadership we need for all of America.”
His decision to withdraw from the race came after careful thought and prayer with his wife, Casey. Despite his efforts, if there wasn’t a clear path to victory, he felt it wouldn’t be fair to ask his supporters to continue volunteering their time and resources. He expressed pride in having delivered on all his promises and assured his supporters that he would not stop now.
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
– Winston Churchill pic.twitter.com/ECoR8YeiMm
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) January 21, 2024
DeSantis recognized the wish of a majority of GOP primary voters to give Trump another term. While he admitted to having some disagreements with Trump, particularly on the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the elevation of Anthony Fauci, he believes that Trump is a better choice than current incumbent Joe Biden. He pledged his endorsement to Trump, stating, “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican Guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”
The political landscape took a dramatic turn after Trump’s indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Noted NBC News analyst Steve Kornacki pointed out that several polls had shown DeSantis leading Trump after Florida emerged as a bright spot in last year’s midterm elections. The gap between Trump and DeSantis was within 10 points in polling averages. However, following Trump’s indictment, a significant portion of Republicans swung back to supporting Trump, and the subsequent three indictments further rallied Republican voters around the former president.
This is a developing story and more updates will follow.
