Former Vice President Mike Pence Suspends Presidential Campaign

Mike Pence, the former U.S. Vice President, announced today, Saturday, that he is suspending his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for the presidency. Pence, whose campaign had not truly launched, told attendees at the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in Las Vegas, "I say to the American people: This is not my time." Pence, 64, has publicly disagreed with Trump and has criticized him sharply for his role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Pence had hoped to gain the support of Republican voters as a reward for following the U.S. Constitution instead of yielding to Trump, who wanted him to overturn the results of the 2020 election. However, Trump's main supporter base has never forgiven Pence for overseeing the certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory. They viewed Pence's actions in his ceremonial role as President of the Senate as a significant betrayal of Trump, who quickly became the frontrunner in the Republican nomination race.