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Former US Vice President Mike Pence has withdrawn from the 2024 presidential race, stating that it is not his time. Pence, the first major Republican candidate to suspend his campaign in a race led by former President Donald Trump, had struggled in recent polls and gained the support of Republican voters.
His campaign had accumulated large amounts of debt, with Pence ending September owing $621,000 and having only US$1.2m in the bank. Pence lost support from many Republican voters when he publicly broke with Trump over the 6 January Capitol riot in 2021 and presided over the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election results in Congress.
Trump admonished Pence for lacking “courage” when he refused to overturn the Democratic leader’s election victory. Pence did not endorse any other Republican candidates but called on Americans to choose a leader who would appeal to the better angels of their nature and lead the nation with civility and back to time-honoured principles.
