In a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sunday he is ending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
"This is American's time for choosing," he said, noting the decisions between what he perceives as the Biden administrations faults and Republican-based changes.
"We launched this campaign to bring accountability to government, regain sovereignty at our borders and restore sanity to society," he said. "The D.C. elites who facilitated this mess do not work for your or care about you, they work for themselves to accumulate power at your expense to pursue an agenda harmful to the American people. It is the duty of politicians to serve you. I have a record of leading with conviction and championing an agenda marked by both colors and defeating the people responsible for our nation's decline."
In the speech, he noted the past "many months", as he and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis left the state to "deliver a message of hope." But, after finishing a distant second to former President Donald Trump in this week's Iowa caucus -- Trump captured 51% of the Iowa vote, DeSantis 21.2% and Nikki Haley 19.1%, his team deliberated on a next move, and citing the campaign did not have a "clear path to victory," he suspended his campaign days before the New Hampshire primary.
"I delivered on 100% of my promises, and I won't stop now," he said. "It's clear that a majority of Republican primary voters another chance ... while I've had disagreements with Donald Trump, such as on the COVID-19 pandemic and the elevation of Dr. Fauci, Trump is superior to the incumbent, Joe Biden. That is clear."
DeSantis noted he'd honor the pledge to support the Republican nominee, saying South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley represents an "old Republican guard of yesteryear."
He concluded that he will "continue to fight" in, and for, Florida.
"While this campaign has ended, the mission continues," he said in the video. "Here in Florida we will continue to show the country how to lead."
While Florida’s Republican U.S. senators, Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, and many members of Congress backed Trump, most GOP state lawmakers supported DeSantis going into Sunday. The Florida presidential primary is still scheduled for March 19. Early voting is slated for March 9-17.
