Larry Elder suspended his presidential campaign on Thursday night. The radio host became the fifth Republican to drop out of the race and the second to do so and then endorse Donald Trump. Despite having made a significant investment to enter the debates, the Californian did not manage to get on the podium on either occasion and the third time seemed to pose even more of an uphill battle.
"In analyzing the path forward, and after careful consideration and consultation with my campaign team, I have made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign," the Republican wrote in a lengthy statement that he posted on his social networks. He took advantage of the letter to criticize President Joe Biden and to praise Trump, to whom he offered his support.
Honored to have just met with @realDonaldTrump to lend him my endorsement for President. I am grateful for the support I received from so many of you across the country. Statement below: pic.twitter.com/1LE9PMtv7c
— Larry Elder (@larryelder) October 26, 2023
"As I retire from the race, I am proud to announce my support for Donald Trump as president of the United States. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing conservative principles and policies that have benefited our great nation. We must unite behind Donald Trump to defeat Joe Biden and fight back against Biden's unprecedented election interference and the left's destruction of America," Elder continued.
During his candidacy, the former California gubernatorial candidate had publicly denounced that he felt attacked by the Republican establishment. For example, on the eve of the second debate, he published an advertisement titled "Larry Elder vs. The Establishment." It aired primarily in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, as well as the rest of the country.
"The Republican National Committee barred me from participating in the debate last month even though I exceeded their qualifications. The RNC is afraid because it knows that I will talk about difficult topics: the epidemic of fatherlessness, my proposal to fire the district attorneys supported by George Soros and the lie that the United States is systematically racist," expressed the now-former candidate in the ad.
Elder became the fifth Republican candidate to drop out of the primary, following Francis Suarez, Will Hurd, Corey Stapleton, and Perry Johnson, in that order.
