Former Vice President Mike Pence announced his withdrawal from the US presidential campaign on Saturday, stating that “this is not my time.”
Pence, the first major 2024 candidate to pause his campaign, announced at the annual convention of the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas: “It’s become clear to me: this is not my time.”
“After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president.”
Pence, like most of his rivals for the Republican Party’s nomination for President of the United States next year, never gained traction in a race dominated by former President Donald Trump.
Despite scandals, two impeachments, and many criminal indictments, the New York billionaire maintains strong support from the party faithful.
Pence’s stunning withdrawal is a watershed moment in the campaign, highlighting how difficult it is for even Trump’s most devoted sidekick to defeat his former boss in the fight to discover who would confront Democratic President Joe Biden.
When entrusted with overturning the results of the 2020 election that Trump falsely claimed to have won, Pence, an establishment figure, eventually refused to play along, quickly becoming a target for Trump’s supporters.