By Steve Peoples, Meg Kinnard and Thomas Beaumont | Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Republican Party’s once-crowded 2024 presidential primary field has suddenly shrunk to just a handful of viable candidates.
But a day after Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina stunned many of his own staff by suspending his campaign, it’s unclear whether the GOP is any closer to coalescing behind a clear alternative to former President Donald Trump. Instead, the fight between Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis for a distant second place appears to be intensifying. And some lower-tier candidates insist on battling for relevance, despite growing pressure to bow out of the race altogether.
Meanwhile, Trump’s team is cheering on the muddle for second place with Iowa’s Jan. 15 kickoff caucuses just two months away.
Still, there were new positive signs on Monday for Haley, Scott’s South Carolina rival, who had been rising in the Republican contest even before the senator’s sudden announcement.
Billionaire investor Stanley Druckenmillier, who had given money to Scott, pledged his support for Haley during a Monday interview as he spoke publicly about the 2024 race for the first time. He emphasized the need for the GOP to coalesce behind the former United Nations ambassador before primary voting begins.
“Now I’m hoping the field clears and it’s Nikki Haley one-on-one with the former president,” Druckenmillier told The Associated Press. “As long as the field is cleared before the actual primaries, I think that’s what’s important.”
But DeSantis is showing no signs of going away as he narrows his focus on Iowa’s leadoff caucuses.
The Florida governor’s spokesperson, Andrew Romeo, says he has a new opportunity in Iowa with Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence out of the race. He pointed to Iowa’s influential group of religious conservatives who have warmed to DeSantis’ strong opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights as part of his aggressive…
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