Former US Vice President Mike Pence ended his presidential campaign penniless after months of struggling to convince Republican voters that he was the best alternative to the man he once served with unwavering loyalty, Donald Trump.
"I say to the American people: This is not my time," Pence told attendees at a donor conference of the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, reports Reuters.
Pence, 64, has split with Trump, criticizing the former president for his role in the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol.
Pence hoped that Republican primary voters would reward him for following the US Constitution and not obeying Trump, who wanted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
But Trump's core base of supporters never forgave Pence for overseeing the confirmation of Democrat Joseph Biden.
They viewed Pence's actions in his ceremonial role as president of the US Senate as the ultimate act of disloyalty to Trump, who has become the runaway favorite in the race for the Republican nomination.
Pence did not endorse anyone in his speech, but in an apparent attack on Trump, he urged Americans to elect someone who speaks to the "better angels of our nature" and can lead "with civility."
Bonus video:
