Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Suspends Presidential Campaign, Cites Challenges of Running Against Trump
In a surprising turn of events, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the suspension of his campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination. Just a year ago, DeSantis was considered the top contender to challenge former President Donald Trump for the Republican Party’s nomination. However, a series of challenges and the overwhelming popularity of Trump within the party ultimately led to DeSantis’s decision.
When DeSantis initially launched his campaign, there was optimism surrounding his chances. As the governor of Florida, he had built a conservative reputation that appealed to the Trumpified GOP. Furthermore, Trump’s endorsement of unsuccessful GOP candidates in the 2022 midterm elections had tarnished his image within the party. In early 2023, DeSantis trailed Trump by only 10 points in national polling averages and even ran neck-and-neck with him in head-to-head surveys.
However, everything changed on March 30 when news broke that Trump would be indicted by the state of New York on charges related to hush money payments. This event rallied Republicans around Trump, boosting his national polling numbers above 50%. Meanwhile, DeSantis’s support dwindled, and by the time he officially announced his campaign on May 24, he had slipped into the low 20s in polling averages.
One factor that may have contributed to DeSantis’s decline was his delayed entry into the race. While his candidacy was an open secret for months, he waited until after Florida’s legislature amended its resign-to-run law to permit presidential runs without resigning as governor. However, negative stories about DeSantis had already begun circulating, including reports about his lack of personal charm and past support for cutting entitlement spending. Trump took advantage of this time to define DeSantis for Republicans, portraying him as part of the GOP establishment.
DeSantis also faced challenges with his campaign operations. While he initially had strong fundraising numbers, his reliance on big-dollar donors led to a depletion of funds once those donors had reached their maximum contributions. Additionally, a significant portion of the money he raised could only be used in the general election, not the primary. Outsourcing campaign operations to the super PAC Never Back Down may have also backfired, as stories of infighting and poor decision-making emerged.
However, the primary obstacle for DeSantis was running against Trump himself. Trump’s continued popularity within the GOP proved to be an insurmountable challenge for DeSantis. Many Republican voters still believe that Trump did not legitimately lose the 2020 election, making it difficult for them to support an alternative candidate. DeSantis himself acknowledged that the indictments against Trump “sucked out a lot of oxygen” from the primary race and expressed a wish for Trump to never have been indicted.
Looking ahead, DeSantis’s decision to drop out of the race was not only due to his losing position but also a strategic move to preserve his political future. At 45 years old, he has time to regroup and potentially run for president again in 2028. Assuming Trump is out of the picture by then, DeSantis could find a receptive audience among GOP primary voters. While his favorability among Republicans has declined, he still ranks high compared to other candidates like Nikki Haley.
With DeSantis out of the race, Trump’s chances of securing the nomination in 2024 have only increased. DeSantis’s supporters are likely to shift their support to Trump, especially in early primary states like New Hampshire. A win in New Hampshire would solidify Trump’s position as the frontrunner and make it difficult for any other candidate to challenge him throughout the primary season.
Although DeSantis’s campaign may have come to an end, history has shown that politicians who fall short in one primary race can come back and win the nomination in the future. DeSantis may find that the second time’s the charm, and his decision to drop out now could prove to be a strategic move in the long run.
In conclusion, Governor Ron DeSantis’s decision to suspend his presidential campaign was influenced by numerous challenges, including the overwhelming popularity of Donald Trump within the Republican Party. While DeSantis initially showed promise as a contender, events such as Trump’s indictment and negative stories about DeSantis’s campaign operations led to a decline in support. Moving forward, DeSantis has positioned himself for a potential future run in 2028, while Trump’s path to securing the 2024 nomination appears clearer than ever.
