Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sunday that he is withdrawing from the race for the Republican nomination and will support Donald Trump in the November presidential election.
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“I’m suspending my campaign today,” he said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter). It’s clear to me that the majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
Ron DeSantis, who has taken a tough stance on immigration and abortion, came in second place in last Monday's Iowa caucuses, far behind Donald Trump, with 21% of the vote versus 51% for the former president.
“I can’t ask our volunteers to give their time and money if we don’t have a clear path to victory,” he reasoned in his video.
“I had differences of opinion with Donald Trump, for example because of the coronavirus pandemic,” but “Trump is better than the current incumbent, Joe Biden,” the 45-year-old added.
His announcement comes two days before the New Hampshire state primary election.
Former US ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley is, for now, the last person remaining in the Republican nomination against Donald Trump.
“breaking point”
As for DeSantis, one of the main factors that would have worked against him would have been the first indictment of Donald Trump for buying the silence of a porn actress.
This unprecedented trial in the United States of a president was a “breaking point,” according to Rafael Jacob, associate researcher at the Raoul Dandurand Chair.
“It created an extraordinary rallying effect for Trump,” emphasizes the expert.
Donald Trump, candidate for the American presidency, on January 16 Getty Images via AFP
At the same time, tensions within the DeSantis campaign team were exposed in the American media.
“Did Mr. DeSantis’ campaign make any mistakes? Yes, but even if it had been perfect […]she really could have caught up [Trump] and hit him? I think it would have been difficult,” summarizes Rafael Jacob.
Running mate?
At this point, it would also be “surprising” if DeSantis were named America’s billionaire vice president or potential vice president, the American politics expert adds.
You should know that the American Constitution prohibits presidential and vice-presidential candidates of the same party from coming from the same state, Mr. Jacob points out.
Rafael Jacob, associated researcher at the Raoul Dandurand Chair. Photo courtesy of Shoot Studio, Martin Girard
This is a situation that would apply to DeSantis and Trump, as the former is the governor of Florida and the latter is a resident.
Another argument to consider: The ex-president openly criticized DeSantis for his lack of loyalty by daring to confront him as a candidate for the Republican nomination.
Trump helped him win the governorship in 2018.
“He was dead as a dog, he was a dead politician,” he told reporters last year, according to Politico.
– With TVA News