The accelerated decline of Ron DeSantis as a candidate for the Republican Party nomination is virtually over Donald Trump as the inevitable candidate to compete for the White House this November Joe Biden. The New York businessman, embroiled in several lawsuits over alleged financial crimes and a defamation case, faces a new vote this Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary, where he starts with a significant lead – double digits – over Nikki Haley , former UN ambassador and former governor of South Carolina who became the New York businessman's only rival
In his departure, DeSantis appealed for support for Trump as the best candidate to face Biden, but that doesn't necessarily mean his voters will listen to him. Trump is in every respect a much more feared rival than in 2016, says the Washington Post, which recalls that eight years ago Trump was his fiercest competitor within the party – the senator from Texas Ted Cruz– won only 12 states, far fewer than Trump's victories.
The Florida governor's decision comes after he has seen his chances of beating Trump dwindle ever faster. “It’s clear to me that the majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” DeSantis said as he announced he was throwing in the towel. “His supporters saw his presidency hampered by relentless resistance, and now they see Democrats using justice to attack him.” Trump, who relentlessly criticized DeSantis for months, responded this Sunday with praise for his rival: ““I look forward to working with him to defeat Joe Biden, the worst and most corrupt president in our country’s history.”
Until recently, Ron DeSantis was a respected candidate among the party elite. In November 2022, he was re-elected governor of Florida by more than 19 points over his Democratic rival. At this moment, The Republican Party doubted Trump's assertiveness after disappointing midterm elections in which the Republicans did not achieve the expected result. In this context, the DeSantis option gained strength in the polls, with a profile that promised the same as Trump but without the excitement of the former president. In addition, there were funds from party donors, which already amounted to $130 million in the spring, when he had not yet announced his candidacy.
The next stop where Haly and Trump will measure their strength is New Hampshire, where the candidate has turned in the hope that her moderate profile and the support she has received from the state's governor, Chris Sununu, will allow her to stand up to Trump. If she beats the polls (50% for Trump and 39% for her), next will be South Carolina, the state where Haley was governor. But polls suggest she will be a “clear loser” there too, given the former president’s popularity. If Haley does not win in New Hampshire, American analysts believe, the pressure from the Republican leadership calling on her to abandon the presidential race will become ever louder.
Currently, Trump's team is already firing with all its might at Haley with attacks on his vision on tax issues, social security, immigration and international politics. Republican senators and governors want to complete the primary process as quickly as possible so that Trump can focus on campaigning against Biden and repairing and strengthening the Republican Party's cracked structure, which is divided on some key issues such as U.S. support for Ukraine in the war is against Russia.
In addition, the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterm elections and other contests in 2023 have demonstrated Trump's inability to mobilize Republican voters on a large scale and win over independent voters who will ultimately determine the outcome of next year's election November will decide, says analyst Alexander Widman.