Just six days before New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation Republican primary, Ron DeSantis abandoned his presidential campaign while his leading super PAC laid off more workers, indicating his rapidly shrinking path to the 2024 GOP nomination.
DeSantis won't neglect the state in the coming days, but he's moving most of his team to South Carolina, Nikki Haley's home state, with its primary in a month. Senior campaign officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to disclose internal conversations.
The pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down has laid off most of its Iowa personnel and moved some to other early states. The number of layoffs is unknown, but a super PAC official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy said they will be paid through January.
After finishing second to Donald Trump in Iowa's caucuses Monday, DeSantis' strategy moves highlight his vulnerability in the 2024 Republican presidential battle. DeSantis' White House campaign hinged on Iowa, but Trump beat him by 30%. DeSantis beat Haley by 2 percentage points.
Trump looks to be securing the GOP nomination, but New Hampshire's Jan. 23 vote might test him. This month's CNN/University of New Hampshire survey revealed that 4 in 10 probable Republican primary voters in New Hampshire preferred Trump and 1 in 3 chose Haley.
Speaking to reporters during a New York court appearance, the former president had high expectations for himself in New Hampshire. However, independents can vote in the New Hampshire primary, making its electorate more moderate than Iowa's. "I think we'll do there, maybe similar to Iowa," Trump said of New Hampshire.
Trump spent much of the day in a Manhattan courthouse, where a judge threatened to remove him from his lawsuit trial for repeatedly defying instructions to be silent as writer E. Jean Carroll testified that he ruined her name after she accused him of sexual abuse. The jury determined Trump sexually assaulted Carroll in the 1990s and defamed her in 2022.
Trump was scheduled to end the day with a New Hampshire coastal event. DeSantis' opponents enjoyed his troubles. After the governor left New Hampshire, Trump spokeswoman Steven Cheung stated, “DeSantis is still running?” The announcement was mocked by Haley's campaign.