Media Tip Sheet: DeSantis Withdraws from Presidential Race, Endorses Trump Ahead of NH Primary


January 22, 2024

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has withdrawn from the presidential race, endorsing former President Donald Trump just days before the New Hampshire primary. DeSantis, once seen as a strong contender, faced challenges in connecting with voters and convincing Republicans to shift their allegiance from Trump.

Faculty experts at George Washington University are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on DeSantis suspending his campaign and what this means for the remaining candidates. If you would like to speak with an expert, please contact the GW Media Relations team at gwmediaatgwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).


Todd Belt is the director of the Political Management Program at the GW Graduate School of Political Management. Belt is an expert on the presidency, campaigns and elections, mass media and politics, public opinion, and political humor. In addition to his expertise, Belt is co-author of four books and helps to run GW’s political poll, which recently shared new findings

Casey Burgat, Legislative Affairs Program Director and Associate Professor at GW’s School of Political Management is an expert on Congressional capacity and reform. Burgat co-authored Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch.

Matt Dallek, a professor at GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, is a political historian with expertise in the intersection of social crises and political transformation, the evolution of the modern conservative movement, and liberalism and its critics. Along with four co-authored books, Dallek is the author of Birchers: How the John Birch Society Radicalized the American Right, which explores the history and influence of America’s right-wing activism.

Peter Loge is the director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs. He has nearly 30 years of experience in politics and communications, having served as a deputy to the chief of staff for Sen. Edward Kennedy during the 1995 shutdown, a VP at the US Institute of Peace in 2013, and held senior positions for three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Loge currently leads the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at the School of Media and Public Affairs and continues to advise advocates and organizations. 

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