Former Vice President Mike Pence announced on Saturday in Las Vegas that he has suspended his presidential campaign.
“The Bible tells us that there’s a time for every purpose under heaven. Traveling across the country over the past six months, I came here to say it’s become clear to me that this is not my time. So, after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today,” Pence said, to audible gasps from the audience gathered at the Venetian resort on the Las Vegas strip.
After the announcement, he was met with a standing ovation from the people in the audience.
“We thank God for his amazing grace. He gave us the courage to step forward so many years ago. And the wisdom to step aside,” Pence said. “My fellow Republicans, thank you for your kindness, your support and your prayers over the many years. As we go home to Indiana, let me assure you that we leave here with optimism and faith. We don’t know what the future holds. But we know who holds the future, and with faith in him and boundless confidence in all of you, we know the best days for America and our most cherished ally, Israel, are yet to come.”
Based on what Pence’s aides distributed to the reporters prior to the speech it did not appear that Pence was going to drop out. It was, according to Fred Zeidman, a major GOP donor in attendance, a “total shock.” The crowd, Zeidman noted, “treated him with all the respect he deserves. What a mensch.”
The announcement comes about a week before the next GOP debate. It appeared that Pence was not going to qualify for the debate. He’d met the Committee’s polling criteria for an invitation to the primary debate in Miami, but he had not met the 70,000-individual-donor threshold.
To hear Tony Katz’s thoughts on Mike Pence dropping out of the race for president, click the link below.
