Florida Gov. DeSantis announced on Jan. 21 in a video posted on X, that he had suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
After placing second in the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced through video message that he has suspended his bid for the presidency.
His endorsement of the former president happened two days before the Republican primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 23.
“But I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory,” Gov. DeSantis said in the video. “Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.”
This decision follows Gov. DeSantis placing second in the Iowa primary, and earlier concerns regarding campaign leadership issues, static polling numbers and possible legal troubles documented by the Associated Press.
The governor was once thought to be a strong challenger who could prevent former President Trump from winning another term in office. Donors within a Super PAC had worked to mobilize voter outreach programs before he announced his bid for the presidency, with over $200 million in spending secured, according to The New York Times.
In October 2023, it was reported that DeSantis’ campaign had run into fundraising issues and possessed $5 million in cash to spend for the primary. It had also been reported that at least one of Gov. DeSantis’ donors shifted support to his opponent Nikki Haley’s campaign, according to ABC News.
Gov. DeSantis’ campaign reportedly spent over $35 million in Iowa, a figure only dwarfed by the $37 million spent in the state by Haley’s campaign, according to Business Insider.
The governor made appearances in other states before starting his presidential campaign, including a stop in Smyrna, Georgia on March 30, 2023, that The Sentinel had covered. At the time, a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll had DeSantis polling at 24% in a hypothetical primary field, which was behind former President Trump at 50%.
“While this campaign has ended, the mission continues,” Gov. DeSantis said at the end of his video. “Down here in Florida, we will continue to show the country how to lead.”
Former President Trump, following his victory in the Iowa caucuses, won 54.3% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 23.
The next Republican caucus will be held in Nevada on Feb. 8, with only former President Trump and former Ambassador Nikki Haley actively campaigning for the nomination.
