DeSantis ends presidential campaign, endorses Trump

The news: Florida governor Ron DeSantis has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race just two days before the New Hampshire primary, after trailing GOP rivals Donald Trump and Nikki Haley in the polls.

The numbers: Fresh polling data from CNN and the University of New Hampshire showed DeSantis held a 6% share of New Hampshire's Republican vote heading into the primary, compared to 50% for Trump and 39% for Haley.

The context: In a video released on X, DeSantis said he would support the eventual Republican nominee, while endorsing Trump over Haley or President Joe Biden. Having won a landslide election to secure his second term as Florida governor in 2022, DeSantis had been widely seen as a leading contender for the 2024 Republican nomination, and he led Trump in several head-to-head polls last year.

What they said: Announcing his withdrawal, DeSantis told supporters: “I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory.”