Ramaswamy urges DeSantis to drop out before NH: 'We can end this primary'

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday called on Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis to end his campaign for the Republican nomination and unite behind former President Donald Trump in order to shut down former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley's campaign and effectively end the primary.

"I’ll give [Ron DeSantis] immense credit if he does the right thing & drops out before the NH primary," Ramaswamy posted on X. "Most of his votes will go to Trump & we can end this primary to make sure that Nikki ... & her neocon ilk never come anywhere near the White House. That’s a key reason why I exited."

Ramaswamy dropped out after placing fourth in the Iowa Caucus and endorsed Trump. DeSantis placed second, though he trailed Trump by roughly 30% and narrowly edged out Haley for the silver.

The New Hampshire primary is scheduled for next week and polling shows Trump with a commanding lead, though Haley has gained considerable ground in recent weeks. DeSantis, by contrast, is polling in the single digits and appears to have little prospect for victory in the Granite State.

Haley, for her part, has largely dismissed DeSantis since the Caucus, declaring she will only debate with either Trump or President Joe Biden in the future, a declaration that prompted the termination of planned primary debates. DeSantis had indicated he would debate "two empty podiums" in reference to the unwillingness of either Haley or Trump to debate him, though ABC News and CNN evidently found that prospect unappealing.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.