Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nominee ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Sunday afternoon in an announcement video on social media.
The announcement from DeSantis comes before his 5 p.m. event, scheduled to take place in the state.
“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,” DeSantis said.
While he was once sought as the biggest challenger to former President Donald Trump, DeSantis has seen support dwindle amongst Republicans despite coming in second at the Iowa Caucus.
The two remaining top candidates among Republicans are now Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who remains tightly behind Trump in polls in New Hampshire and South Carolina, the next two primary states.
As for DeSantis, the Florida governor pushed back against claims that he would drop last week. On Sunday morning, he canceled both his appearances on NBC and CNN, leading many to believe his campaign suspension was coming.
DeSantis won’t be out of the political eye, as he has two years remaining in his second and final term as the governor of Florida.
DeSantis also backed Trump in the video, saying that Haley was a Republican of the past that America could not go back to.
“Winston Churchill once remarked that success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. While this campaign has ended, the mission continues down here in Florida. We will continue to show the country, how to lead. Thank you and God bless," DeSantis said.
This is a breaking story that will be updated as information comes available.