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 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.
