Gov. Ron DeSantis went from a presidential hopeful to a political punchline after dropping out of the Republican primary race on Sunday.
Critics of the Florida governor were ready to crack jokes when DeSantis’ troubled presidential campaign sputtered to a stop this weekend, just days ahead of the New Hampshire primary elections on Tuesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) reveled in DeSantis’ demise in a post on X, where he called for a “Fire sale on all Ron DeSantis merch today!”
Newsom and DeSantis have been fierce rivals since both began serving as governor in their respective states in 2019. They even sparred on a Fox debate stage last fall, where Newsom told DeSantis he’d never be the Republican’s 2024 nominee.
Elsewhere, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) ribbed the governor about his ongoing feud with Disney by posting an image of a crown-clad Mickey Mouse and tweeting, “You come at the king, you best not miss.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) wondered why DeSantis was bowing out so early, tweeting, “Ohhh man… one primary & he’s out?!” along with a peace since to a “Deflated DeSantis!”
Presidential historian and NBC expert Michael Beschloss turned to old Hollywood for his take, likening DeSantis and Trump to two tragically-intertwined characters from “Sunset Boulevard” following DeSantis’ endorsement of his once-opponent.
Mary Trump, the former president’s niece and a consistent Trump critic, was a bit more blunt about the endorsement, declaring, “Ron DeSantis just kissed the ring” in a tweet.
Upon DeSantis’ exit, Tuesday’s Republican primary election in New Hampshire appears to be a de facto race between Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll published on Sunday showed 50% of likely Republican primary voters supporting Trump, while Haley has 39%.
See the best tweets about DeSantis’ campaign below: