(DCWatchdog.com) – In a U-turn betraying Donald Trump, a former ally in one of the critical early-voting 2024 primary states has defected to the camp of his faltering, though still most dangerous rival, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis.
The development, whose effect on Trump’s chances for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination might still be hard to measure, saw New Hampshire State Rep. Jennifer Rhodes join numerous other local Republicans pledging support for DeSantis.
A total of 63 GOP legislators in the Granite State, which holds the first Republican primary in the nation, have already endorsed Florida’s governor for the 2024 nomination, according to The Daily Caller.
Rhodes, alongside fellow New Hampshire State Republican Representatives James Spillane and Jordan Ulery, is among those who transitioned her endorsement from Trump to DeSantis.
“I went to an event [DeSantis] had to listen to what he had to say and I had a chance to actually meet him and talk to him for a few minutes alone,” Rhodes told the news outlet.
“When he was talking with the public, he brought up some very serious concerns or some topics that I know a lot of people are asking about, a lot of people want to see change with. And he brought those up and actually brought a real solution to those situations,” she elaborated.
The New Hampshire state representative praised DeSantis by contrasting his behavior with that of former President Trump.
“That was something that I personally feel that I have not heard from President Trump at all yet. I liked that [DeSantis] not only did have a solution to the problem, but he actually demonstrated how he’s already tackled those in Florida and made it the reality,” Rhodes added.
She also said some of the topics DeSantis discussed at the event were congressional term limits and inflation, and his comments helped convince her to endorse him.
A survey released on Oct. 4 by Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY revealed that DeSantis slipped to the third spot in support among GOP primary voters.
While former President Trump ranked first, with nearly half of all Republican voters backing him, former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley came in second with 19% support. DeSantis was ranked after her, with 10%.
