 Ron DeSantis withdraws from Republican presidential race, endorses Trump (Photo: AFP) |
In a video posted to social media on Sunday, DeSantis said he did not have a “clear path to victory” and endorsed Donald Trump’s run for the nomination. He finished a distant second behind the former president in last week’s Iowa caucuses (21% and 51%) and had been due to contest the New Hampshire primary in two days’ time.
According to DeSantis, what happened in Iowa shows that Republican voters want to give Donald Trump a second chance, so he decided to withdraw and give his support to Donald Trump.
“Nobody worked harder, and we left it all out on the field. Now, following our second-place finish in Iowa, we’ve prayed and deliberated on the way forward. If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome — more campaign stops, more interviews — I would do it,” DeSantis said.
“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. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign,” he said.
The end of Mr. DeSantis’ bid means that former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, is now the last Republican in the race with a shot – albeit a long one – of denying Trump the nomination.
The winner will take on incumbent President Joe Biden, the likely Democratic nominee, in the general election in November.
According to a poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire for CNN, Donald Trump is expected to receive 50% of support from Republican voters of New Hampshire, compared to 39% for Ms. Haley.