Reactions poured in following Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) dropping out of the Republican presidential primary race and endorsing former President Donald Trump over Nikki Haley, as some expressed disappointment while other celebrated the move toward GOP unity.
Unity has been a theme touted by several notable Republicans as the GOP primary race has carried on. Both Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) told Breitbart News Saturday over the weekend that it is clearly time for the GOP to coalesce behind Trump — the clear frontrunner.
“Over the past many months, Casey and I have traveled across the country to deliver a message of hope that decline is a choice and that we can, in fact, succeed again, as a nation. Nobody worked harder, and we left it all out on the field,” DeSantis said in a message posted to social media, announcing his decision to drop out of the race and admitting he sees no clear path to the nomination moving forward.
“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. 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 announced, admitting that it is “clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
“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 repackaged form of warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents,” he continued, thanking his supporters for their devotion throughout his campaign.
The news generated plenty of reactions across the board, as some of his supporters expressed disappointment, while Trump supporters celebrated, as this move puts Trump one step closer to sealing the deal.
“Ron DeSantis is a great patriot and class act,” conservative commentator and author Mark Levin said, acknowledging that DeSantis “did the right thing in suspending his campaign and endorsing President Trump.”
“Nikki Haley must and will be defeated. Then on to Biden, who is destroying our magnificent country, and the election of President Trump, who will reverse America’s decline at the hands of the radical Democrats,” he added:
“Now is time that all republicans unite behind returning @realDonaldTrump to the White House,” Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said.
“This is the most important election of our lifetimes,” he added:
“The important story is not that #DeSantis dropped out. That was inevitable sooner or later,” author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza said.
“The important thing is he endorsed Trump. That represents a kind of course correction, and also pretty much seals the deal for Trump and the nomination,” he added:
“Welcome to the party, Governor DeSantis. Now LFG!! MAGA!!!” Monica Crowley, former senior director of strategic communications for the National Security Council, exclaimed:
“GREAT move by Governor Ron DeSantis! President @realDonaldTrump is uniting the GOP & we are closer than ever to taking our country back!” U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake exclaimed as others joined in — some happy and some not:
This story is developing.
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