From DeFuture to DISASTER: Humiliated Ron DeSantis was wooden, humorless and charisma-free. Now he's rolled out the red carpet for the next US president – and it's over for good… ANDREW NEIL's cruel judgment

Then there was one. Although probably not for long.

Ron DeSantis throwing in the towel, which was inevitable given his expensive campaign went nowhere, leaves Nikki Haley as the only credible challenger to Donald Trump in his bid to recapture the Republican presidential nomination — and even that stretches the meaning of 'credible' op. '.

It's hard to believe that just a year ago, DeSantis was considered the best Republican candidate to beat Trump. But that was before he gave a masterclass on how not to run a presidential campaign.

From a disastrous, problem-ridden launch last May on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to throwing tens of millions of dollars (perhaps as much as $150 million) at the Iowa caucuses, only to come in a very poor second place coming after Trump, with numerous failed reboots of his campaign in between, DeSantis never had the potential to be a winner from the start.

What a disappointment for the man who was re-elected governor of Florida in a landslide in November 2022 on a night that was generally bad for Republicans.

A challenger early polls showed was within striking distance of Trump. A favorite of Rupert Murdoch, whose media dubbed him 'DeFuture' in the mogul's frantic search for an alternative to The Donald. A man who, as one of his campaign ads indicated, came to view himself as “chosen by God.”

It's hard to believe that just a year ago, DeSantis was considered the best Republican candidate to beat Trump. But that was before he gave a masterclass on how not to run a presidential campaign.

What a disappointment for the man who was re-elected governor of Florida in a landslide in November 2022. A favorite of Rupert Murdoch, whose media dubbed him 'DeFuture' in the mogul's frantic search for an alternative to The Donald.

But it soon became clear that he was not driven by anything like divine inspiration.

As he tried to imprint himself into the national consciousness with the same success he had in the Sunshine State, it soon became clear that he suffered from a rather fatal flaw for someone with presidential ambitions: the more people saw of him, the more people liked him saw, the more people saw him. they liked him less.

He was wooden in debates and campaign speeches, advancing his talking points with all the charm and verve of a malfunctioning robot.

Curmudgeonly in media interviews. Awkward when you have to press the meat with mere mortals. Without humor. Lack of heat. A charisma-free zone without even the slightest trace of Reaganesque optimism. An alleged commander-in-chief whose grasp of foreign policy was so weak described Russia's invasion of Ukraine as merely a “territorial dispute.”

No amount of funding could overcome these handicaps. His campaign had essentially come to a standstill since last summer. It became better known for the fierce battles behind closed doors between its leading strategists than for the progress it made on the ground.

And when DeSantis left Iowa en route to certain defeat in New Hampshire, it was clear his days were numbered.

His well-funded political action committee called itself “Never Back Down.” But on Sunday, DeSantis backed down, withdrawing from the race and throwing whatever political weight he has left (answer: not much) behind Trump, who had long called him “Ron DeSantimonious.”

It doesn't get more humiliating than that.

He was wooden in debates and campaign speeches, advancing his talking points with all the charm and verve of a malfunctioning robot.

It's not just his presidential ambitions that went up in flames. That includes his political reputation, which undermines even his lofty status in Florida.

This could be the downfall of his political career – and not just his bid for the presidency.

Of course, he's only 45 and could run for president again in 2028. But for that to turn out differently than this time, he would have to completely reinvent his personality and his approach to campaigning on the national stage.

I've seen no evidence that he's capable of doing that. Even as his 2024 campaign collapsed around him, all he offered was more of the same.

DeSantis – and Haley – are both now in Trump's rearview mirror.

In fact, I fully expect Haley to follow DeSantis' path after losing badly to Trump in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. According to the latest Boston Globe poll, Trump has a 19-point lead — and with DeSantis out, he could win by even more.

DeSantis only got 6 percent in the Granite State, so there aren't many of his votes to redistribute — but the votes now up for grabs, polling analysis shows, will be split 50:30 in Trump's favor.

The next big contest in the Republican primaries is on February 24 in South Carolina, where Haley was a moderately popular two-term governor but where she is polling even worse than New Hampshire, with Trump holding a 30-point lead.

DeSantis – and Nikki Haley – are both now in Trump's rearview mirror. In fact, I fully expect Haley to follow DeSantis' path after losing badly to Trump in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. According to the latest Boston Globe poll, Trump has a 19-point lead — and with DeSantis out, he could win by even more.

If it eventually dawns on the billionaire donor class currently bankrolling her campaign that she can't even win her home state, the curtains will be in sight for her.

A heavy defeat in New Hampshire means they will likely pull the plug long before February 24 — and Trump will then emerge as the undisputed Republican candidate, well ahead of his goal of clinching the nomination in early March.

In other words, his coronation is all but guaranteed. His eyes are now firmly on the White House again.

The latest poll in the swing state of Michigan gives him an eight-point lead over President Biden, who actually won the state in 2020 – albeit by only three points.

November is still far away. But as things stand, it's not just the Republican nomination for which Trump now seems unstoppable. Whether he's good or bad, he's also currently the clear favorite to regain the White House.