It is claimed that Ron DeSantis will drop out of the 2024 presidential race if he loses the Iowa caucuses to Donald Trump on January 15th.
Two well-known sources within the DeSantis campaign, a major donor and a senior political operative, told The Hill that if the Florida governor loses to former President Donald Trump on Jan. 15, he will likely drop out of the race entirely will withdraw.
The announcement would come either that same night or the next morning – bringing with it reluctant support for Trump and the governor would not travel on to New Hampshire, scheduled for January 23rd.
DeSantis would flip the race on its head if he beat Trump in the primaries – as he is currently well behind his MAGA rival in the polls.
Ron DeSantis, pictured, is reportedly ready to throw in the towel on his 2024 presidential campaign
Sources indicate that DeSantis would then likely support Trump, in keeping with the growing trend of Republican figures supporting the former president
DeSantis entered the race with sky-high expectations but struggled to gain ground against Trump. He may have to support him. The couple is pictured here in 2018
He entered the race with sky-high expectations but struggled to gain ground against Trump.
He has shaken up his campaign team several times in the past year and refocused his message, betting heavily on a strong result in Iowa.
He visited all 99 counties, backed by an affiliated super PAC, Never Back Down, which spent the summer and fall sending organizers door-to-door to recruit supporters.
But the latest polls suggest it will take a miracle to win, with DeSantis at 18.4 percent and Trump at a solid 50 percent of the vote.
If DeSantis does decide to join Trump, he would join a growing trend of Republican politicians supporting the former president.
Recently, Trump received support from prominent figures such as House Majority Leader Tom Emmer and Majority Leader Steve Scalise.
The latest polls suggest it will take a miracle to win, with DeSantis at 18.4 percent and Trump at a solid 50 percent of the vote
Outside of Iowa, DeSantis' position also looks decidedly tenuous in New Hampshire, with Trump once again holding a significant lead
Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, known for his conservative and religious circles, also recently endorsed Trump – suggesting that momentum is building within the Republican Party for a Trump return.
Outside of Iowa, DeSantis' position also looks decidedly tenuous in New Hampshire, with Trump once again holding a significant lead.
DeSantis is in fourth place in the Granite State with 9.5 percent, trailing former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with 10.5 percent, Nikki Haley with 24.8 percent and Trump with 46.3 percent.
As losses continue to pile up, DeSantis would likely face intense scrutiny from donors urging him to drop out of the race.
DeSantis might have been better suited to run for president in 2028, but the night of January 15th will show whether DeSantis is able to retire gracefully when the odds stack against him.
The video, which first aired on C-Span, shows the controversial Republican in conversation with a man who cracks a joke that upsets the governor
From the start, DeSantis faced an uphill battle in reaching voters and was frequently accused of being uptight and humorless.
But there were moments during his election campaign that showed a different side to him.
A video from last May shows him laughing uproariously as the 2024 hopeful clearly tries to lighten up.
The video showed the governor talking to a man at a classic car show in Iowa. When DeSantis asks, “I saw you have a 1955 Porsche in there.” That's nice. How much is that worth?'
“Ugh, let’s not even talk about that,” the man replies. DeSantis was visibly irritated by the remark and threw his head back to laugh heartily, mouth agape.
At the same moment, a picture was taken of DeSantis laughing with his mouth wide open John McCormick, Wall Street Journal reporterwho uploaded it to his Twitter account.
While many were quick to joke, others pointed out that the easing was a deliberate effort.
Opponents have argued in the past that DeSantis has a problem with “grip-and-grin” politics, which results in lawmakers traveling to try to impress voters in person.
Early in the campaign, it was reported that DeSantis and his team were having “internal conversations” about his need for more small talk, handshakes and eye contact.
Wall Street Journal reporter John McCormick also shared a snapshot of DeSantis having fun on the campaign trail
More recently, there has been an obsession over whether DeSantis wore “lifts” in his cowboy boots to appear taller – since Americans traditionally like taller candidates.
It became the focus of millions of Twitter followers and sparked widespread excitement on TikTok, prompting amateur sleuths to investigate.
The Florida governor was accused of adding risers to pairs of brown and black boots to convert them into heels, giving him a height increase.
DeSantis has said that he wears “regular off-the-shelf Lucchese boosts” and that he is 5-foot-10.
But a trio of experienced shoemakers have come forward to say they use elevators to look taller.
A trio of veteran shoemakers believe Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wears heels, even though the 2024 candidate denies there are attachments in his cowboy boots. DeSantis wore these boots to a Heritage Foundation event on Friday
TikTok user Spamellina sketched the shape of a high heel over the photo of DeSantis in his boots and then shared an image of a pair of women's wedge boots for comparison. The experts described a similar, but shorter, way in which elevators could be configured
Bootmaker Zephan Parker of Houston-based Parker Boot Company didn't believe DeSantis' denial.
“I have dealt with these politicians many times,” Parker told Politico Magazine. “I helped them with their elevators.” [DeSantis] carries elevators; there is no doubt.'
Parker looked at photos of DeSantis at a campaign rally in Tampa and noted that while the boots have a traditional Western silhouette, the heels appear shorter.
He explained that if you include heeled cowboy boots, the lift-heel combination can “turn them into 5-inch stilettos.”
“This is too much for the common man,” Parker said. “So on a finished boot they shorten the heel by about half an inch to accommodate the risers, and that seems to be the case here.”
Parker also said that the top of the boots appear to stick out further than a traditional cowboy boot.
While cowboy boots are meant to fit snugly, a tight boot is not adjustable in height. Therefore, men who want to gain a little more height often have to choose a size larger.
“He looks like he's wearing pants with a 20-inch opening,” Parker noted, “which is plenty of room for a western boot on a man his size.”
However, since the tops of his boots pressed against the pant legs, Parker suggested that “the boots are larger than intended, probably to accommodate his lifting.”
Trump hit the campaign trail Saturday in the state of Iowa, the nation's first presidential nominee, vowing to win “for the third time.”
Former President Donald Trump dances after a speech at a campaign rally as U.S. Secret Service agents defend their posts
Trump, meanwhile, hit the campaign trail Saturday in the state of Iowa, becoming the nation's first presidential candidate, vowing to win “for the third time” as Americans marked the anniversary of the deadly mob attack on the U.S. Capitol Supporter.
Many watched in horror three years ago, on January 6, 2021, as rioters – egged on by the ex-president and fueled by his false claims of election fraud – stormed the seat of US democracy to stop the transfer of power.
In a rambling, two-hour speech Saturday to supporters in Newton, Iowa, Trump did not elaborate on that day's events but described those detained for their role in the attack as “hostages.” He has said that if elected he would pardon many.
Trump mocked President Joe Biden, his presumed rival in the November election.
He said Biden oversaw economic decline and wrought chaos on the country's borders while failing to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
“I would definitely have stopped Putin,” he said.
Trump warned of a third world war if Biden was re-elected, adding: “This is our last chance to save America.”
Trump never gave up the fiction that he had won the 2020 election, declaring that he would win “for the third time” in November.