Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign has refuted an op-ed asserting that the Republican presidential candidate intends to drop out from the race should he lose the Iowa caucuses to former President Donald Trump.
The two unnamed sources said that Mr. DeSantis could potentially endorse President Trump after losing in Iowa, according to the report penned by political and communications consultant Douglas MacKinnon.
Bryan Griffin, press secretary for Mr. DeSantis, refuted the report and claimed that President Trump’s team was responsible for the “hack op-ed.”
“Team Trump must be getting nervous. They’re acting like the leftist media, pushing fake news from a hack op-ed and anonymous sources,” Mr. Griffin stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Jan. 7.
“Ron DeSantis is in this for the long haul,” he added.
DeSantis Shakes Up Campaign
Mr. DeSantis has shaken up his campaign staff and recalibrated his message several times over the past year and has bet heavily on a strong Iowa finish. He visited all 99 counties, aided by an aligned super PAC, Never Back Down, that spent the summer and fall sending organizers door to door to recruit supporters.During his campaign event in Grimes, Des Moines, on Sunday, Mr. DeSantis was asked if he would continue his campaign beyond Iowa caucuses, and he replied: “You have to be built for the long haul. We’ve got a great organization in these other early states.”
Miami-Dade Republicans have overwhelmingly supported President Trump to be the GOP presidential nominee; 53 of the 65 sitting members voted for the former president, while just five backed Mr. DeSantis during a Jan. 3 meeting.
The straw poll results in bordering Broward County on Jan. 4 were similar, with 72 of the 83 members voting for President Trump, and only four supporting Mr. DeSantis.
Broward Republican State Committeeman Richard DeNapoli said he believes that “history is repeating itself” as President Trump’s GOP opponents severely underestimate the former president and his widespread support.
“And it’s the same scenario, it’s like, their best day is their announcement day, and then Trump starts leaning on them, you know, talking about their record or whatever, whatever the issues are, and then they don’t make it.”
Mr. DeNapoli said taking on President Trump in the Republican primaries is a “suicide mission” for any serious candidate looking for the nomination, in part because of the former president’s “universal name ID.”
He believes that Mr. DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will drop out eventually, but at different times.
