Vivek Ramaswamy urges Ron DeSantis to drop 2024 bid

Ron DeSantis says he’s not leaving the presidential race anytime soon, but a former opponent for the 2024 Republican nomination says he should do just that.

Former candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said DeSantis should withdraw before the next Primary in the race.

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

Ramaswamy, who finished a distant fourth place in Iowa, immediately endorsed the former President after his defeat.

It’s unclear how many votes would ultimately go to Trump if DeSantis withdrew from the race, especially in the Granite State where DeSantis hasn’t caught on as a candidate based on polling. But surveys have suggested DeSantis and Ramaswamy largely served to cannibalize Trump’s support in New Hampshire.

The Saint Anselm College Survey Center survey taken Jan. 8-9, which found DeSantis and Ramaswamy tied at 6%, found “76% of DeSantis supporters and 74% of Ramaswamy supporters have a favorable impression of Trump.” If those numbers are accurate, Ramaswamy’s assertion that DeSantis’ departure would boost the former President could have some merit.

Other polling indicates that DeSantis’ support may not rebound regardless of whether he stays in or not.

The Suffolk University/NBC10 Boston/Boston Globe survey released Wednesday shows DeSantis with 5% support but with 30% as the “second choice” candidate, a meaningless honorific given the campaign is over in days in New Hampshire.

This is a better poll for DeSantis than one other that was released this week. The latest American Research Group survey of next week’s Primary finds the Governor at 4%.