Florida Governor Ron DeSantis withdrew from the 2024 presidential race and gave his endorsement to the leading candidate, Donald Trump, only two days before the New Hampshire primary.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis convened with his key advisers at the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee to discuss the future of his presidential campaign, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Following the meeting, DeSantis and his wife, Casey, had a private discussion upstairs where they decided to end the campaign, recognizing that there was no viable path to success. When they returned to the advisers, DeSantis had already crafted statements that would be part of the announcement declaring the suspension of his campaign.

The discussions at the Governor’s Mansion concluded a week of talks between Governor DeSantis and his advisers. These conversations began last Monday night, just after he secured a second-place finish behind Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses.

One of Governor DeSantis’ strong supporters, Representative Chip Roy from Texas, visited Tallahassee for the last discussions. He played a crucial role in helping DeSantis decide whether to end his campaign before the New Hampshire primary and whether to endorse Trump. In a phone call on Sunday night, Roy mentioned he has been in constant talks with the governor during the campaign and believes DeSantis made the right decision by concluding the campaign early and supporting Trump. However, he didn’t provide specifics about his conversations with DeSantis.

DeSantis aimed to continue his primary competition against Trump and Nikki Haley, extending it beyond the New Hampshire primary to South Carolina. His advisers believed South Carolina offered a chance for better progress in the coming month.

DeSantis faced financial challenges as both his campaign and affiliated super PACs struggled to raise sufficient funds, failing to recover the substantial amounts spent in an unsuccessful attempt to win Iowa. Eager to understand the shortcomings in Iowa and assess his prospects in upcoming states, DeSantis posed numerous questions to his advisers while maintaining an active campaign.

Over the following days, DeSantis traversed South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Florida, yet observed no noticeable improvement in his situation. The media received mixed signals about whether to prioritize South Carolina over New Hampshire. Throughout this period, polling consistently placed DeSantis in single digits in New Hampshire, significantly trailing behind Trump and Haley. Additionally, South Carolina did not appear to offer much better prospects.

DeSantis has joined a group of candidates who have suspended their 2024 presidential campaigns, including North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. All of them opted to endorse Trump after ending their campaigns.

During a rally in New Hampshire on Sunday evening, Trump acknowledged and congratulated DeSantis for withdrawing from the race and endorsing him.

Shortly after announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 race, DeSantis canceled a planned campaign event in New Hampshire. The campaign communicated that he would be staying in Tallahassee, Florida, instead.

Despite declaring a victory at the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15, where he secured second place ahead of former rival Haley, DeSantis has fallen significantly behind his opponents in New Hampshire.

Following the Iowa results, it appears that DeSantis’ campaign is losing momentum. The pro-DeSantis super PAC, Never Back Down, had to cut staff earlier this week, and DeSantis canceled several scheduled media appearances on Sunday.

DeSantis exiting the race marks the conclusion of a campaign that began with potential but faced internal conflicts and strategic missteps. Reports of disagreements within the DeSantis campaign surfaced consistently, with staff expressing doubts about the campaign long before its conclusion.

Beginning Monday, the Florida governor is returning to his usual responsibilities. Criticism has been directed at him for possibly neglecting his duties as governor while pursuing the presidency.