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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis abandoned his 2024 campaign for the Republican Presidential nomination by doing what he seemingly mocked others for doing – kissing Donald Trump’s ring. In video message posed on X that used a not-said-by-Winston-Churchill Winston Churchill quote, DeSantis endorsed Trump for President.
The New Hampshire Presidential primary race in New Hampshire how has Donald Trump 19 points ahead of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. The pundits are now sorting through how DeSantis blew through a ton of money for a highly touted Presidential campaign that proved to be the equivalent of the 1937 Hindenburg disaster. All that’s needed is for someone to say what a shocked newsman as the world-famous zeppelin burst into flames and crashed: “Oh, the humanity!”
Some of the reaction to DeSantis’ withdrawal has been brutal on social media. Some tweets:
By endorsing Trump rather than Haley, DeSantis essentially proved that his whole campaign was meaningless.
— Bruce Bartlett (@BruceBartlett) January 22, 2024
Oops! DeSantis Campaign's Closing Message Uses Fake Churchill Quote That Actually Comes From Budweiser Ad https://t.co/0jvVPbl6AN
— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) January 22, 2024
A bad candidate, a lousy message, and a terrible campaign. This obit is almost too easy to write: My latest —-> https://t.co/Tkib5QIO0r
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) January 21, 2024
He goes out the way he came in, lying. Winston Churchill did not say that. https://t.co/orY9yJFKiu
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) January 21, 2024
Brutal https://t.co/s1YghQHKs9
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 21, 2024
All of @RonDeSantis and @CaseyDeSantis dreams have been dashed.
???pic.twitter.com/qhXie7tDE1— Sgt Joker (@TheSGTJoker) January 21, 2024
DeSantis and Tim Scott can vie over whose tongue applies more saliva to Trump’s shoes, and when it all dries in a few weeks Nikki will take over.
— Dick Polman (@DickPolman1) January 21, 2024
The fact that DeSantis immediately endorsed Trump is a reminder of why he never had a chance.
Instead of calling out Trump on his lies and corruption, DeSantis ran as a Trump 2.0 and for most of the campaign refrained from attacking Trump.
He never had a chance. pic.twitter.com/GRFSYlXkz6
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) January 21, 2024
Mr. "Never Back Down" just backed down after just one state – blowing $150,000,000 to do it.
That's $6,400 per vote.
Then he immediately endorsed a man who mocked, defamed, and humiliated him.
Disaster.
— Mary L Trump (@MaryLTrump) January 21, 2024
Ron DeSantis just endorsed the man who spent the past year mocking him and his wife relentlessly. Sound familiar? pic.twitter.com/L0wLupiEpl
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 21, 2024
?@RonDeSantis’ campaign was never “promising.” He was always the most over-bought stuck in politics.? His Trump endorsement proves he’s an empty suit in those big boy boots. https://t.co/MQ1enDDKF2
— Reed Galen (@reedgalen) January 21, 2024
He drops out on twitter, doesn’t have the class and grace to do it in front of his supporters who worked hard for him, uses a fake Churchill quote, then kisses Trump’s ring 6 days after ridiculing people who kiss Trump’s ring.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 21, 2024
I don’t understand how he was losing so badly in the polls. Everywhere we went people were unrelenting in chanting More Ron, More Ron, More Ron.
~ @CaseyDeSantis— Sgt Joker (@TheSGTJoker) January 22, 2024
Miami Herald editorial board: "So now DeSantis’ presidential campaign has ended. But the damage of the laws he has pushed through in Florida, as he landed more appearances on Fox News, will live on…" https://t.co/6PoKe54k6p pic.twitter.com/0jS0GljKo8
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 21, 2024
Ron DeSantis Yesterday: Donald Trump is not right for America!
Ron DeSantis Today: Donald Trump is right for America!
I have never seen so many ass kissers in my life.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) January 21, 2024
This aged well. https://t.co/S7tY2MlxHr
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 21, 2024
Now comes the part where Desantis takes out his frustrations for his own personal failure on the most vulnerable people in Florida.
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 21, 2024
Trump accused Desantis of sleeping with the high school students he taught in Georgia but Desantis puckered up big and kissed his ass again anyway. What a man!
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 22, 2024
Photo 88118256 | Loser © Lkeskinen0 | Dreamstime.com
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.