Former US Vice President Mike Pence arrives to speak at the Republican Jewish Federation Annual Leadership Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on October 28, 2023.
Steve Marcus | Reuters
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday withdrew his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination and ended his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain support in the polls.
“It’s become clear: this is not my time,” Pence said at the Republican Jewish Federation’s annual gathering in Las Vegas. “So, after much prayer and consideration, I have decided to discontinue my presidential campaign as of today.”
“I always knew this was going to be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” Pence went on to tell the friendly crowd, who reacted with audible surprise to the announcement, giving him I received many standing ovations.
Pence is the first major candidate to drop out of a race dominated by his former boss-turned-rival Donald Trump, and his struggles highlight how much Trump has transformed the party. ing. The former vice president is typically seen as a formidable challenger in any primary, but Mr. Pence has struggled to find a base of support.
Mr. Pence did not immediately endorse his rival, but continued to repeat language he has used to criticize Mr. Trump.
“I want to appeal to all the Republicans here, as Lincoln said, to the angels who are better than our nature, and to give our nation a standard-bearer for the Republican Party who will not only lead us to victory, but lead our country with civility. I strongly urge you to give it to me.” He said.
Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the 2nd Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California on September 27, 2023.
Robin Beck | AFP | Getty Images
Pence’s decision, more than two months before the Iowa caucuses that will put his campaign on the line, avoids accumulating further debt and allows him to compete in the third Republican primary debate in Miami on Nov. 8. He was spared an embarrassment that could have cost him his qualification.
But his departure is a huge blow to a politician who spent years waiting to be Trump’s most loyal lieutenant, although in his final days in office, Trump revealed that Pence had some kind of relationship with Pence. He believed they had the power to overturn the results of the 2020 election, only to be made scapegoats, and let them continue in office — a power Pence did not have.
Mr. Pence avoided a constitutional crisis by rejecting the plan, but it infuriated Mr. Trump and many Trumps who still believe Mr. Pence’s lies about the election and see him as a traitor. It also drew anger from supporters.
Meanwhile, among Trump’s critics, Pence was seen as a success who defended the former president at every turn and repeatedly refused to criticize even Trump’s most indefensible actions.
As a result, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research published in August, a majority of U.S. adults (57%) view Pence negatively, while only a few have a positive view. It was only 28%.
The former Indiana governor and congressman has maintained throughout his campaign that although he is well known to voters, he is “not well known,” making numerous stops at diners and Pizza Ranch restaurants. , was trying to change that with an aggressive schedule.
Pence has a large white evangelical population with a long history of pushing religiously and socially conservative candidates, such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Pennsylvania Gov. Rick Santorum. I was betting on Iowa State. Mr. Pence frequently campaigned with his wife, Karen, a Christian school teacher, emphasizing hard-line views on issues such as abortion, which he opposes even when pregnancy is impossible. He repeatedly called on his fellow candidates to support a national ban of at least 15 weeks and pushed for a ban on drugs used as an alternative to surgery.
He has sought to confront his actions on January 6, 2021, and has repeatedly told voters that he fulfilled his constitutional duty that day, knowing full well the political consequences. It was a strategy his aides believed would help de-escalate matters and earn Mr. Pence respect from the majority of Republicans, who were sure to disagree with President Trump’s actions.
In this image from a video released by the House Select Committee, Vice President Mike Pence looks at his cell phone in a safe haven on January 6th, where he is seen in a safe haven during the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. The House of Commons Select Committee investigating the incident is shown holding a hearing on Thursday. , June 16, 2022, at the Washington State Capitol.
House Select Committee | AP
But Mr. Pence also had trouble gaining support in Iowa.
Despite long-standing relationships with donors, he has had similar fundraising difficulties. Pence ended September with just $1.18 million in the bank and $621,000 in debt, according to his latest campaign report. His debt has ballooned in the weeks since then, and Mr. Pence, who is not independently wealthy, adds to this debt that will take years to repay.
The Associated Press reported earlier this month that people close to Pence said that given Trump’s overwhelming lead in the race for the 2024 presidential nomination, it was a long-term concern within the party that he remained the nominee. It was reported for the first time that he was beginning to feel that there was a risk of losing his position. They said Mr. Pence could make it through to the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses if he wanted, but while campaigning on a shoestring budget and accumulating debt, it was a challenge to the conservative movement. You will need to consider how this will affect your ability to remain a leading voice. he wants
Hamas’ attack on Israel in October, pushing foreign policy to the forefront of the campaign, has given Pence, who had spent his campaign warning against a growing tide of isolationism within the Republican Party, a new sense of purpose. There is also the view that he gave Mr. Pence claimed to be the most experienced candidate in the race and criticized “voices of appeasement” within the Republican Party, saying they were emboldening groups such as Hamas.
But Mr. Pence ultimately concluded that he could continue to speak out on the issue without continuing to campaign. He chose the Las Vegas event as the venue to announce his decision, but also so he could address the subject one last time before officially leaving the race.
He is expected to remain involved through the conservative think tank Advancing American Freedom, which he founded after leaving office as vice president and envisions as an alternative to the Heritage Foundation.
Mr. Pence’s group is expected to continue advocating for policies he supported during his campaign, including pushing for more U.S. aid to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression and proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare to rein in the debt. It will be done. These ideas, once a cornerstone of establishment Republican orthodoxy, have fallen out of favor as the party embraces President Trump’s isolationist and populist views.
