Ron DeSantis put his presidential hopes in ‘anti-woke’ attacks – and it failed
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Florida governor Ron DeSantis, once considered a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination, has officially ended his campaign to bring the ‘war on woke’ to the White House. This decision comes after DeSantis narrowly defeated Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and UN ambassador, at the Republican Party’s Iowa caucuses in January. However, both DeSantis and Haley were far behind former President Donald Trump, who remains a frontrunner in the Republican primary polls.
DeSantis made the announcement to suspend his campaign in a nearly five-minute long video posted on Twitter. In the video, he quoted Winston Churchill, saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal – it is the courage to continue that counts.” However, it was later revealed that Churchill never actually said those words, according to the International Churchill Society.
The Florida governor stated that he couldn’t see a clear path to victory in the Republican race following the Iowa results, and he endorsed Trump for president. He expressed his willingness to do anything to produce a favorable outcome, including more campaign stops and interviews.
DeSantis also declared that Trump is “superior” to President Joe Biden and endorsed him for the upcoming general election in November. Trump, speaking at a New Hampshire rally, described DeSantis as a “very gracious” and “really terrific person” that he looks forward to working with in the future.
So what went wrong for DeSantis, who was once seen as a strong challenger to Trump? Just months ago, he was considered a suitable replacement for Trump in the White House due to his strong stance against so-called ‘woke’ ideology and his anti-LGBTQ+ political track record.
DeSantis’ campaign got off to a rocky start with a glitch-filled livestream with Elon Musk. He focused his campaign on promoting his anti-woke and anti-LGBTQ+ policies as a blueprint for the rest of the country. However, his odd facial expressions and mannerisms on the campaign trail became jokes and memes on social media, rather than garnering mass support for his campaign.
While DeSantis attempted to make Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies go nationwide, it didn’t translate to winning votes. His bans on trans students participating in school athletics, restrictions on trans healthcare, and targeting of drag performances failed to help him overtake Trump in national polls.
Ultimately, DeSantis’ downfall can be attributed to facing a more charismatic opponent in Trump. Despite facing numerous criminal charges and criticism for his role in the Capitol Riots, Trump maintained a strong base of support within the GOP. However, DeSantis still has time on his side at just 45 years old. He recently claimed that Trump voters in Iowa expressed their support for him in four years’ time, potentially setting him up for another White House bid in 2028.
The timing of DeSantis’ withdrawal and endorsement of Trump may be more strategic than anything else. It allows conservative voters to rally behind Trump against Haley in upcoming primaries and could potentially earn DeSantis a top spot as Trump’s running mate in 2024.
In conclusion, Ron DeSantis’ presidential hopes were dashed as his ‘anti-woke’ attacks failed to resonate with voters. Despite starting out as a promising contender, he faced stiff competition from Trump and ultimately decided to suspend his campaign and endorse the former president. However, at just 45 years old, DeSantis still has time to grow his political fanbase and potentially make another bid for the White House in the future.
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Ron DeSantis, presidential hopes, anti-woke attacks
