Gail: If DeSantis weren’t such an awful candidate, this toppling of his campaign might be a little sad. Bret: The Trump endorsement was dishonorable but probably inevitable, politically speaking. If Trump wins the presidency, DeSantis will have to live with him as a governor; if Trump loses, he can try to court Trump’s voters in 2028. That’s assuming Trump isn’t on the ballot in 2028. Which means Trump will, for all practical purposes, be the nominee by the middle of this week.

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Persons: Gail Collins, Bret, Ron DeSantis, Bret Stephens, Nope, Gail, Donald Trump, ” wasn’t, Trump, DeSantis, there’s, South Carolina …, Nikki Haley Organizations: Republican, Trump Locations: South Carolina