Rupert Murdoch withdraws endorsing Trump 2024 and chooses DeSantis

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Australian-American businessman Rupert Murdoch will reportedly not endorse Donald Trump's return to the White House. Former Trump supporters are turning to presidential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in light of the Republican party’s stats in the US midterm elections on November 8. 

Murdoch’s media empire, which includes conservative channel Fox News, flagship paper The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Post, labeled Trump a loser responsible for putting the Republicans into “one political fiasco after another”. Republican senators blamed the MAGA mogul for their party's losses. 

A senior News Corp source told "The i" newspaper: “We have been clear with Donald. There have been conversations between them during which Rupert made it clear to Donald that we cannot back another run for the White House.” 

Trump, in return, accused Murdoch of going “all in” by backing DeSantis who he dubbed “Ron DeSanctimonious” and an “average Republican governor”. On November 9, Trump warned DeSantis against making a bid for the White House in the upcoming 2024 presidential elections.

"I don't know if he is running. I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly. I really believe he could hurt himself badly," Trump said during an interview for Fox News following a rally in Ohio. Trump underlined that would be making a "mistake" by running, saying that the "base" would not like his bid. "I don't think it would be good for the party."

The former US president announced his candidacy for president in 2024 on Tuesday. 

Read next: Trump takes a swing at DeSantis, several prominent US media outlets

Murdoch's son and heir, Lachlan Murdoch, who co-chairs News Corp and runs the parent company of Fox News, is reported to have told DeSantis that his group would advocate for him if he ran in the presidential race. “Lachlan has been keen on Ron for some time,” said The i’s source. “He’s viewed within the organization as a sanitized version of Donald.”

“DeFuture”, is what the New York Post has labeled DeSantis, alongside Fox News calling him “the new Republican party leader” although he has not confirmed his intention to run completely.

Joe Biden, on the other hand, still ranks as unpopular in the polls, as Republicans call him out for being divisive. Worries are circulating if he does claim the presidency again, since he would be 82 years old in 2024.