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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Ron DeSantis has suspended his campaign for president and endorsed Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for the White House in 2024, in a significant blow to Nikki Haley with just two days to go until the New Hampshire primary.
DeSantis announced his decision in a video posted to social media on Sunday afternoon, saying he and his wife had “prayed and deliberated on the way forward” after his second-place finish in last week’s Iowa caucuses.
“I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory,” DeSantis said as he confirmed he was suspending his campaign.
The Florida governor said it was “clear . . . that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” adding: “They watched his presidency get stymied by relentless resistance and they see Democrats using lawfare to this day to attack him.”
DeSantis said he had “disagreements” with Trump but the former president was “superior” to Democratic incumbent President Joe Biden.
“[Trump] has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yester-year,” DeSantis added.
