In remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, former Vice President Mike Pence announced he was leaving the 2024 Republican presidential primary contest.
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00:00 But permit me to close on a personal note.
00:04 Last June, I announced my intention to seek the Republican nomination
00:07 for President of the United States,
00:10 because I believe this country is in a lot of trouble.
00:14 I was raised to believe that to whom much is given, much will be required.
00:20 And with everything our country is facing, I just couldn't sit this one out.
00:28 But the Bible tells us that there's a time for every purpose under heaven.
00:35 Traveling across the country over the past six months,
00:39 I came here to say it's become clear to me, this is not my time.
00:48 So after much prayer and deliberation,
00:51 I have decided to suspend my campaign for President-effective today.
00:59 Now, I'm leaving this campaign, but let me promise you,
01:02 I will never leave the fight for conservative values,
01:06 and I will never stop fighting to elect principled Republican leaders
01:12 to every office in the land.
01:15 So help me God.
01:17 (Applause)
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01:42 (Applause)
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01:57 (Applause)
02:02 (Applause)
02:07 (Applause)
02:12 (Applause)
02:17 (Applause)
02:20 Thank you.
02:24 You know, we always knew this would be an uphill battle,
02:30 but I have no regrets.
02:33 The only thing that would have been harder than coming up short
02:40 would have been if we'd never tried at all.
02:43 (Applause)
02:48 Now, to the American people, I say this is not my time,
02:53 but it's still your time.
02:55 (Applause)
02:59 I urge you to hold fast to what matters most,
03:03 faith, family, and the Constitution of the United States of America.
03:10 (Applause)
03:19 I'm proud that our campaign stood firm on America's role as leader of the free world.
03:26 I'm proud that we embraced our party's historic commitment to limited government
03:32 and the right to life.
03:34 And I will always believe that we helped ensure that these principles and values
03:39 remained at the heart of the debate over the future of our party.
03:46 You know, for all my travels, I can tell you,
03:48 the American people are the most freedom-loving, faith-filled,
03:52 generous people the world has ever known.
03:57 Your task is to give us government as good as our people again,
04:01 and I know you will.
04:03 (Applause)
04:08 So I urge all my fellow Republicans here,
04:12 give our country a Republican standard bearer
04:16 that will, as Lincoln said, appeal to the better angels of our nature
04:23 and not only lead us to victory, but lead our nation with civility
04:27 back to the time-honored principles that have always made America strong
04:31 and prosperous and free.
04:34 (Applause)
04:38 And as we leave this campaign, we do so with grateful hearts.
04:43 I'll always be grateful for the opportunities
04:46 the people of this country have given us.
04:49 I want to thank our supporters across the country,
04:52 our devoted campaign family,
04:56 and our volunteers whose efforts and prayers have sustained us in this campaign
05:01 and over the past 20 years.
05:04 You will always be in our hearts.
05:07 And let me thank you all for the opportunity of serving as your Vice President.
05:12 It was the greatest honor of my life.
05:15 (Applause)
05:40 And of course, I want to thank my family,
05:46 Michael and Sarah, Charlotte and Henry, Audrey and Dan,
05:52 and my wonderful wife, Karen,
05:56 whose inspiring faith, strength, and love
06:00 saw us through all of our years of service.
06:04 We did it all together,
06:07 and I could not have done it without her.
06:10 Would you join me in expressing your appreciation
06:13 to the former Second Lady of the United States of America, Karen Pence?
06:18 (Applause)
06:42 And finally, we thank God for his amazing grace.
06:49 It gave us the courage to step forward so many years ago
06:53 and the wisdom to step aside.
06:57 My fellow Republicans, thank you for your kindness,
07:02 your support, and your prayers over these many years.
07:05 (Applause)
07:07 As we go home to Indiana,
07:11 let me assure you that we leave here with optimism and faith.
07:17 We don't know what the future holds,
07:21 but we know who holds the future.
07:24 And with faith in him and boundless confidence in all of you,
07:29 we know the best days for America
07:33 and our most cherished ally, Israel, are yet to come.
07:37 Thank you. God bless you.
07:40 (Applause)