Mike Pence withdraws his candidacy for president

“After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to suspend my presidential campaign”: Mike Pence surrenders. He recommends that Republicans elect someone who can lead “with civility.”

Former US Vice President Mike Pence announced his surrender in the race to win the opposition Republican Party’s presidential nomination. “I say to the American people: This is not my time. After much prayer and consideration, I have decided as of today to abandon my campaign for president,” Pence told attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in Las Vegas on Saturday. He did not offer any election recommendation.

But Pence called for choosing someone who speaks to people’s best sides and can lead with “kindness.” Pence launched his presidential campaign last June. However, his campaign never got off the ground. Pence was far behind in the polls and, according to media reports, had problems raising money for his campaign. “We always knew this was going to be a tough fight, but I have no regrets,” he told the crowd, which responded audibly with surprise to Pence’s announcement. He promised that he would leave the election campaign, but would “never give up the fight for conservative values.”

Although the evangelical Christian was well known during his tenure as vice president, he still had to suffer from declining popularity. He is the first widely known candidate to withdraw from the race.

“No person who puts himself above the Constitution may become president.”

The 64-year-old man entered into a dispute with his former boss, former President Donald Trump. He repeatedly warned that no one who places himself above the Constitution of the United States should be allowed to become President of the United States. On the day of the storming of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021, Trump asked him to choose between Trump and the Constitution. Pence, as then-President of the Senate, refused to stop certifying Joe Biden’s election victory. Many Trump supporters see this as a betrayal, and Trump himself has accused him of cowardice. Pence was his vice president from 2017 to 2021.

The conservative Pence has loyally stood by Trump during his controversial presidency. Since the storming of Congress, he has increasingly distanced himself from Trump. Presidential and congressional elections are scheduled for November 2024. In the preceding months, the candidates of the respective parties are determined through large-scale primaries.

Topping the list of Republican candidates is former US President Donald Trump. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley are also running. US President Biden is running for re-election among the Democrats. As an incumbent, he is unlikely to face any serious competition within the party on the campaign trail.

He left the race while saving face

On the one hand, observers believe that Pence’s decision to withdraw more than two months before the primary elections will save him a lot of money. On the other hand, he should also be able to save face – and avoid the embarrassment of potentially not qualifying for the next GOP primary debate.

Pence is deeply religious and promotes the image of a good public servant. He also supports a nationwide ban on abortion, which is very important to many conservatives, especially on the outside fringes. For Trump, the evangelical Christian covered this important constituency of voters at the time. With Pence out of the race, this group will have to search for a new candidate. (APA/Reuters/DPA)