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In response to the news of former Vice President Mike Pence suspending his 2024 campaign, former President Donald Trump offered his thoughts and suggested that Pence should endorse him.
During a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, Trump remarked, “Everybody that leaves seems to be endorsing me…You know people are leaving now and they’re all endorsing me.”
This statement came in the wake of two GOP presidential candidates, Perry Johnson and Larry Elder, deciding to endorse President Trump after dropping their own White House aspirations. Trump currently holds a substantial lead in the GOP primary, outperforming other contenders seeking the nomination.
Regarding Pence’s withdrawal from the race, President Trump stated at the Las Vegas rally, “I don’t know about Mike Pence: He should endorse me. He should endorse me. You know why? Because I had a great, successful presidency, and he was the vice president. He should endorse me.”
He continued, emphasizing, “I chose him, made him vice president, but people in politics can be very disloyal.”
Earlier on the same day, Pence announced the suspension of his campaign, citing months of poor polling and financial difficulties. Pence’s campaign had struggled to raise sufficient funds from donors and was grappling with debt.
Pence expressed, “Traveling over the country over the past six months, I came here to say it’s become clear to me: This is not my time.” He added, “So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”
Pence did not provide an endorsement to any specific candidate in his announcement, instead encouraging his fellow Republicans to choose a nominee who appeals to the principles of unity and civility.
As of the end of September, Pence’s campaign account contained just $1.18 million, a relatively low amount for a presidential race and significantly less than his rivals. In contrast, Trump claimed to have approximately $37 million in his campaign account, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had between $25 and $30 million.
Pence’s campaign was also burdened with $621,000 in debt, which exceeded half of his remaining cash. The campaign was struggling to meet donor thresholds for the November 8 debate.
Pence’s decision to withdraw spared him from accumulating further debt and the potential embarrassment of failing to qualify for the third Republican primary on November 8.
