(Adds analyst quote in paragraphs 13-14)
Written by Gram Slattery, James Oliphant, Nathan Lane
SEABROOK, N.H., Jan. 21 (Reuters) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ended his waning presidential campaign on Sunday, ending his waning campaign for President Donald Trump just two days before the pivotal New Hampshire primary. It endorsed former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley as Trump's last remaining viable challenger. for the Republican nomination.
Mr. DeSantis' decision comes less than a week after his disappointing loss to Mr. Trump in Iowa, despite his huge investment in the state, leaving him with no choice but to hold on to the November general election. It marks the end of the ouster of Mr. DeSantis, who was previously widely seen as the Republican's most likely candidate to replace Mr. Trump. .
Her resignation will begin a one-on-one battle with Trump that Haley has been craving. Trump continues to maintain an iron grip on Republican districts even as he faces four criminal charges. He pleaded not guilty in all cases.
But the majority of DeSantis' supporters appear more likely to switch allegiance to Trump than to the moderate Haley. In New Hampshire, about two-thirds of DeSantis supporters say Trump is their second choice, said Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire Research Center.
In a video posted to X, DeSantis endorsed Trump while saying goodbye to Haley.
“He has my support because we can't go back to the old Republican guard, a repackaged version of the overheated corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.” he said.
Opinion polls show Trump holding a double-digit lead over Haley in New Hampshire, and his campaign hopes a second consecutive win will make the eventual nomination all but inevitable.
He also holds a commanding lead in South Carolina, which votes on February 24th. A loss in her home state, where Haley was governor from 2011 to 2017, would likely doom her campaign.
At a campaign event in Seabrook, New Hampshire, Haley drew cheers when she announced DeSantis' withdrawal.
“I'll leave it at that for now. May the best woman win,” she said.
“One person race”
David Kochel, a Republican strategist who has worked on five presidential campaigns, said he doubted DeSantis' resignation would change the fundamental contours of the campaign, given his plummeting support. He said it was low.
“There needs to be a big dynamic change in the race. I don't think DeSantis dropping out is that big of an issue because not much happened in New Hampshire and not much happened in New Hampshire,” he said. said.
Ford O'Connell, another Republican consultant with ties to both the Trump and DeSantis campaigns, said he expects most DeSantis voters to “come back” to Trump.
“Without question, Mr. Trump is the beneficiary of Mr. DeSantis' campaign termination,” he said.
With time running out, Haley stepped up her attacks on the front-runner in the final days before the election.
In a statement after DeSantis' announcement, the Trump campaign thanked him for his support and called on Republicans to unite behind him.
“Nikki Haley is a globalist and Democratic candidate who will do anything to stop the America First movement,” the campaign said.
The winner of this year's race for the Republican nomination will face President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
DESANTIS campaign error
Early last year, Mr. DeSantis was considered a front-runner for the presidential nomination and a natural successor to Mr. Trump because of his combative style and deeply conservative views. He was leading in several head-to-head polls with Trump.
But his support has been declining for months due to flaws in his campaign strategy, his awkwardness with voters on the campaign trail, and his continued steadfast command over much of the party's base.
According to most polls, more than 70% of Republicans have a favorable impression of President Trump. That put Mr. DeSantis in the position of having to appeal not only to voters who passionately dislike Mr. Trump, but also to those who still admire him.
DeSantis failed on both counts. Republicans seeking to remove the former president split their votes between candidates, but he had a hard time explaining to most Trump supporters why he was the better choice.
Many big donors supported DeSantis early on, but they began a revolt already in the summer.
Some allies of Mr. DeSantis have argued that the governor waited too long to enter the race, leaving him exposed to fierce attacks from Mr. Trump, who announced his campaign more than six months ago.
When DeSantis officially launched his White House bid in May 2023, his Twitter account, now known as X, was a glitch-filled disaster, an inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the governor's executive ability It became.
The campaign overhired, quickly burned through cash, and outsourced much of the campaign's traditional work to outside super PACs. This super PAC can accept unlimited donations but cannot coordinate with the campaign itself. (Reporting by Gram Slattery in Seabrook, New Hampshire; Nathan Lane in Rochester, New Hampshire; James Oliphant in Epping, New Hampshire; additional reporting by Rami Ayyoub in Washington; writing by Susan Heavey and Joseph Ax; Ross Edited by Colvin, Alistair) Bell and Leslie Adler)
