Well, we all knew this was coming, but it doesn’t make it any less disappointing for those not wanting a 2020 redux. Ron DeSantis has announced that he is suspending his presidential campaign.

DeSantis was pretty gracious during his statement, and did what was expected of him by announcing his support of Donald Trump.

“Citizens do not serve politicians. It is the duty of politicians to serve you. Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words,” DeSantis said. “Reversing the decline of this nation requires leadership that delivers big results for the people we are elected to serve. I have a record of leading with conviction, championing an agenda marked by bold colors, delivering on my promises, and defeating the people who are responsible for our nation’s decline. That is the type of leadership we need for all of America. ”

He said that he and his wife Casey prayed about what they should do after he finished second place in Iowa.

“If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. 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. I’m proud to have delivered on 100% of my promises, and I will not stop now.”

DeSantis said that it became clear that a majority of GOP primary voters wanted to give Trump another chance.

“They watch his presidency gets stymied by relentless resistance, and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him,” he said. “While I’ve had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the coronavirus pandemic and his elevation of Anthony Fauci, Trump is superior to the current incumbent Joe Biden. That is clear. I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican Guard of yesteryear, a repackage formed have warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents.”

There are good reasons why DeSantis is likely throwing in the towel now, but the end of his campaign likely signals the end of Nikki Haley’s campaign before too long.

First, DeSantis has essentially stalled out. The media targeted him as a high value threat long before he announced that he would run for president. He drew eyes and incoming fire long before he declared he was in. But it seems that DeSantis waited too long to get into the race. By the time he announced in May, Donald Trump had already been indicted and the “rally round the flag” effect was in full swing. As a result, DeSantis never got the momentum that his team thought was coming.

Second, for better or worse, the Republican base is treating Donald Trump as an incumbent. The indictments and cases against him have boosted his popularity, not decreased it. While there are still “unknown unknowns” out there that make a 77 year old man a riskier proposition as president, the fact that Joe Biden is so desperately unpopular that Donald Trump looks positively spritely next to the current president. And because the DNC is deliberately cooking the primary to make sure that Biden doesn’t face any challengers, the contrast between Trump and Biden is going to become even more stark.

Third, the Iowa caucus results simply were not what Team DeSantis needed to keep the financial support coming in. In order to keep the campaign solvent, they needed a big win in Iowa. They didn’t get it. DeSantis was not competitive in New Hampshire, and South Carolina was not looking good. Even though DeSantis was saying that he planned on staying in, the financial situation probably made that impossible.

However, DeSantis dropping out is likely to spell the end of Nikki Haley’s campaign as well. DeSantis has officially and unsurprisingly thrown his support behind Donald Trump, which is no surprise. How enthusiastic his support will be, but DeSantis did pledge to support the Republican nominee. While Nikki Haley will probably gloat a little about it officially being a “two-person race,” DeSantis dropping out does not give Haley any of a boost.

Not sure they’ll love where many/most DeSantis supporters migrate next… https://t.co/jy3mbQc7GV

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 21, 2024

DeSantis voters will go to Trump, and that will essentially mean that Haley’s support has hit a ceiling. Being a “two-person race” means that the pool of likely voters has shrunk for the remaining candidates, and if Haley comes in second to Trump in New Hampshire, as is expected, and cannot overtake him in her home state of South Carolina, then the race is over before Super Tuesday.

Trump himself says he is “very honored” by DeSantis’s support. Some Trump supporters, on the other hand…

This is not a reconciliatory message and not a dime of his campaign was wasted. You can’t disenfranchise the voters who were supporting him with their time and treasure and expect them to come back to the table. His campaign was about issues and record and was worth it for the…

— Chris Loesch 𝕏 (@ChrisLoesch) January 21, 2024

And let’s not forget Gavin Newsom, who DeSantis depantsed during their debate. Always a classy guy, that Governor Hair Gel.

Fire sale on all Ron DeSantis merch today! https://t.co/BAXE7PUSTP

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 21, 2024

The end of the DeSantis campaign might be the end of the competitive primary in 2024. We shall have to wait and see. As for DeSantis’s future? He still has two more years in his term as Florida’s governor, so unlike Trump or Haley, he has a current elected position to return to and complete. His political future beyond that is murky, as he is term-limited as governor. But I expect that the media will still see him as a threat, and if he can build a solid foundation as a champion of conservative values, we may yet see him again in 2028.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click