Ron DeSantis resigned and now supports Donald Trump

With criticism of Trump's remaining nominee, Nikki Haley, the governor of Florida is ending his candidacy. Because he lacks a “clear path to victory” on the GOP ticket.

The race for the Republican nomination in the US presidential election appears to be over: two days before the New Hampshire primary, former President Donald Trump's fiercest opponent, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, surrendered and supported former President Donald Trump. “He has my support,” DeSantis said in a video posted on Channel X on Sunday afternoon (local time). In it, he criticized Trump's remaining rival, Nikki Haley.

Haley put herself at the service of major corporations. DeSantis stressed that “the days of putting Americans last (…) are over.” In Monday's first primary in Iowa, he was only able to maintain second place ahead of Haley with great effort, while Trump won overwhelmingly with an absolute majority of the votes. And in New Hampshire, the hardline conservative governor was in danger of defeat, as everything was heading towards a duel between Trump and Haley. The former governor of South Carolina thought she had a chance to pull off an upset victory over the former president.

DeSantis sees 'no clear path to victory'

“I cannot ask our supporters for their time and donations when there is no clear path for us to victory,” DeSantis said. “That's why I'm ending my campaign today.” He considered that DeSantis had no chance in the upcoming New Hampshire primary. In the northeastern state, voters are noticeably less conservative than in Iowa, where DeSantis has managed to score points with his ultra-conservative agenda, some of which remain to the right of Trump.

During his candidacy, the 45-year-old DeSantis strategically positioned himself as a powerful right-wing actor. After being successfully re-elected as governor of Florida in November 2022, he looked for a few months as if he might challenge Trump's candidacy. But DeSantis also had a reputation for being wooden in his personal dealings with voters. His election campaign was also marked by appearances in television debates that opponents described as “robotic.”

Trump also has a significant lead over Haley in New Hampshire

New Hampshire became the scene of a duel between Trump and Haley. The former ambassador to the United Nations recently tried to distance herself from Trump. She hopes to be able to score points in the state so she can then run in more strengthened primaries. However, it is questionable whether it will succeed. In the polls, Trump recently had an average lead of 14 percentage points over Haley in New Hampshire. And in South Carolina, where the primary is scheduled for February, Trump's lead is even larger – even though Haley comes from the southern state and was once governor there.

It is possible that the decision on granting the Republican nomination will come earlier this year than usual. The primaries officially extend into the summer. The candidate is then chosen at a party conference before the actual presidential election campaign begins. (APA/DPA/Reuters)