Former US Vice President Pence Drops Out of 2024 Presidential Race

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Former US Vice President Mike Pence announced on Saturday that he would suspend his campaign for president, effective immediately.

"The Bible tells us that there is a time for every purpose under Heaven. Traveling across the country over the past six months, I came here to say it's become clear to me: This is not my time. So, after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president, effective today," he said at the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in Las Vegas.

Pence served as Donald Trump's vice president between 2017 and 2021, but had a falling out with his boss toward the end of Trump's term in office after refusing to challenge the results of the 2020 election, which Trump claimed was rigged.

Pence announced his candidacy for 2024 in June, saying in his announcement speech that his Trump should "never" be president again. Trump has repeatedly attacked Pence as a "wimp" and a liar over the latter's refusal to back him in 2021.

In August, Trump accused "Liddle' Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor of Indiana until I came along and made him VP," of going "to the Dark Side" after Pence implied that Trump attempted to overturn the Constitution.

Trump presently enjoys a comfortable lead in the race for the Republican nomination, with his 61 percent showing 50 points ahead of his nearest competitor - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is polling at 11 percent. Pence was polling at between 1 and 5 percent support among Republicans before Saturday's announcement that he would drop out.