Mike Pence is giving up his campaign for the Republican nomination for the US presidency. At a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Las Vegas, Pence said: “After much prayer and reflection, I have decided to end my presidential campaign,” Pence said. It was “not his time”.
He made no election recommendation, but urged Republicans to choose someone who appeals to the better side of people and can lead with “courtesy.” Pence launched his campaign for the presidency last June. However, his campaign never got off the ground.
The 64-year-old fell out with his former boss, former President Donald Trump. He repeatedly warned that no one who placed themselves above the US Constitution should be allowed to become President of the US. On the day the Capitol was stormed on January 6, 2021, Trump asked him to choose between Trump and the Constitution. Pence, as then President of the Senate, refused to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Many Trump supporters see this as a betrayal, and Trump himself accused him of cowardice.
The arch-conservative Pence stood loyally at Trump’s side during his controversial presidency. Since the storming of Congress, he has increasingly distanced himself from Trump. The presidential and congressional elections will take place in November 2024. In the months before, the candidates of the respective parties are determined through extensive primaries.