In New Hampshire, where he was polling in the single digits, he announced his resignation prior to the Republican primary election.
Though he had previously been seen as a formidable opponent for the party’s nomination, Mr. DeSantis declared on Sunday that he did not “have a clear path to victory”.
The final contender for Mr. Trump, Nikki Haley, declared that she was the “only one” capable of defeating US President Joe Biden.
Tuesday’s contest in New Hampshire between Ms. Haley and Mr. Trump is the second in a series of state-by-state races to select the Republican nominee for the general election in November.
In a video that was posted on Sunday afternoon on X, formerly Twitter, Mr. DeSantis claimed that his campaign had “left it all out on the field” and lasted close to five minutes.
As he concluded his seven-month campaign, he said, “If there was anything I could do to produce a favourable outcome – more campaign stops, more interviews – I would do it.”
The governor of Florida announced that he was supporting Mr. Trump, who has emerged as the overwhelming favorite following his 51% victory in the first contest in Iowa. It’s evident, according to Mr. DeSantis, that most Republican voters “want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
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Despite stating that Mr. Trump was “superior” to Mr. Biden—who is almost guaranteed to be the Democratic nominee in November’s general election—he acknowledged having “disagreements” with the former president.
“I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee, and I will honour that pledge,” said Mr. DeSantis.
When Mr. Trump announced Mr. DeSantis’s withdrawal and endorsement to a packed room of supporters on Sunday afternoon in New Hampshire, there were thunderous applause.
Subsequently, during a rally speech, Mr. Trump called his previous rival a “really terrific person” and continued, “He ran a really good campaign, it’s not easy.”
In his campaign, Mr. DeSantis positioned himself as the Republican who could carry out Mr. Trump’s populist policies without the baggage or drama.
However, Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who spoke at the event, called him “diet Trump”. Additionally, a number of Mr. Trump’s supporters told the BBC that while they thought the governor of Florida was a good choice, the timing was not right.
The 60-year-old Lynne Mason stated that she “expected more from him” and that she found Mr. DeSantis’ campaign to be “a little weak”. The “only person at this time who can save this country” was Mr. Trump, she continued.
Another local who supported Mr. Trump, BethAnne Tatro, concurred. “I believe that President Trump has demonstrated his ability to do this by his past performance in office.
