After DeSantis withdraws
Trump is “honored” and taunts Haley
January 22, 2024, 12:39 a.m
After Ron DeSantis’ withdrawal, the only Republicans left is Nikki Haley, who could seriously challenge Donald Trump’s candidacy for the presidency. The ex-president sees her as “the candidate of the globalists and Democrats.” Your chances aren’t exactly good.
Former US President Donald Trump said he was “honored” to support Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who dropped out of the Republican presidential race. It is now time “for all Republicans to rally behind President Trump” in order to defeat incumbent Joe Biden in the presidential election in November and end his “catastrophic presidency,” said the right-wing populist’s campaign team.
At the same time, the campaign team renewed its attacks against Trump’s main rival, Nikki Haley, who remained in the race. The former US ambassador to the United Nations is “the candidate of the globalists and Democrats.” The 52-year-old wants higher taxes, cuts in social security systems and an opening of the US borders, said a statement from Trump’s campaign team.
DeSantis threw in the towel and expressed his support for Trump on Sunday, two days before the presidential primaries in the state of New Hampshire. The right-wing hardliner said he sees “no clear path to victory” as justification. The race for the Republican presidential nomination is becoming a duel between Trump and Haley, in which the ex-president is the clear favorite.
Haley is hoping for New Hampshire
DeSantis had long been considered Trump’s most dangerous party rival. But the 45-year-old governor’s election campaign never really got going. In the primary election opener in the state of Iowa last Monday, DeSantis came in second place, but with a huge gap of 30 percentage points to Trump. DeSantis was considered to have no chance in the next primary election in New Hampshire. In the state in the northeast of the USA, voters are significantly less conservative than in Iowa, where DeSantis was able to score points with his ultra-conservative agenda, some of which is still to the right of Trump.
New Hampshire becomes the stage for a duel between Trump and Haley. The former UN ambassador has recently tried to distance herself from Trump. She hopes to be able to score points in the state so that she can then go into the further primaries strengthened. However, it is questionable whether she will succeed. In polls, Trump was recently an average of 14 percentage points ahead of Haley in New Hampshire. In South Carolina, where the primaries are scheduled for February, Trump’s lead is even greater – even though Haley comes from the southern state and was once governor there.
The fact that she is now the only alternative among the Republicans for donors who are averse to Trump could secure her the funds to continue her campaign. “May the best woman win,” Haley said at a campaign rally in Seabrook, New Hampshire. The decision on the award of the Republican candidacy could actually come earlier this year than usual. The primary elections formally extend into the summer. The candidate is then chosen at a party conference before the actual presidential election campaign begins.