He quit ahead of the Republican primary election in New Hampshire, where he was polling in the single digits.

DeSantis was once considered a strong contender for the party's nomination but on Sunday he said he did not "have a clear path to victory".

Nikki Haley will go head-to-head with Donald Trump in New Hampshire on Tuesday, the second in a series of state-by-state contests to pick a Republican nominee for the November general election.

The Florida governor said he was endorsing Trump, who is the clear frontrunner after winning the first contest in Iowa with 51% of the vote.

DeSantis said it had become clear that a majority of Republican voters "want to give Donald Trump another chance".