Florida’s Ron DeSantis concedes defeat

His strategy of MAGA without the Trump baggage failed to peel off Trump voters

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Editorials

January 22, 2024 - 3:54 PM

The Republican field for the presidential nomination has substantially narrowed. On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out, leaving Nikki Haley and Donald Trump to duke it out. In November, the field included, from left, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, Haley, DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy and Sen. Tim Scott. (Matias J. Ocner/Miami Herald/TNS)

Ron DeSantis ended his presidential campaign on Sunday, and the brutal post-mortems are already flying. His exit lets him avoid what was looking to be a distant third place finish in New Hampshire on Tuesday and in South Carolina next month. His endorsement of Donald Trump before New Hampshire is an attempt to get back in good MAGA graces.

Mr. DeSantis saw an opportunity after his sweeping re-election in Florida in 2022 while Donald Trump’s hand-picked Senate candidates were trounced. He had a fair expectation that GOP voters were looking for a fresh start after the Trump-led…

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