Former Vice President Mike Pence suspends his 2024 presidential bid

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."While he attempted to separate himself from the man he stood by and backed up for four years, he toed the line with trying not to alienate Trump supporters – some of whom already vehemently dislike the former vice president for his role in certifying the 2020 election. The outcome was an approach that seemed inconsistent, with Pence at times distancing himself from the former president, while he tried to take credit for the administration’s work on certain issues, like immigration.

Adding to his difficulties, while Pence attempted to present himself as a limited-government conservative with a cooler head than Trump, his deeply held evangelical views and conservative social policy, including his stance on abortion, spelled trouble for his prospects with centrist Republicans and the broader electorate.

The unexpected announcement came during remarks at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s leadership conference in Las Vegas, where Pence first spoke about the nation’s commitment to Israel following Hamas’ attack and criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict, before turning to his own plans. But Pence made clear that he’s committed to seeing a Republican in the White House, and while he’s suspending his campaign, he won’t “leave the fight for conservative values.”

“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” Pence said. “To the American people I say this is not my time, but it’s still your time. I urge you to hold fast to what matters most – faith, family and the Constitution of the United States of America.”