Former Vice President Mike Pence said Saturday he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
He made the shocking announcement Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada, during the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership summit, as GOP candidates gathered to address that bloc of voters.
“You know, we always knew this was going to be a tough fight. “But I have no regrets,” Pence assured.
He added: “The only thing that would have been harder than coming up short would have been if we hadn’t tried at all.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence announced Saturday that he is ending his run for president in 2024
Pence said he originally launched his campaign in June because the U.S. was in “big trouble.”
However, he said now is not the time to step in and help.
“The Bible tells us that there is a season for every purpose under heaven,” Pence said at the conclusion of his speech at the Venetian Conference Center on the Vegas Strip.
“As I’ve traveled around the country over the last six months, I’ve come here to say: I’ve realized this is not my time,” the former vice president said to awestruck reactions from the crowd.
He announced, “After much prayer and consideration, I have decided to suspend my presidential candidacy effective today.”
During his remarks about his resignation, Pence received several prolonged standing ovations from thousands of Jewish Republicans who gathered in Las Vegas on Saturday to listen to the 2024 GOP candidates’ speech.
“Thanks, Mike,” one participant was heard shouting.