Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke quit the 2020 race on Friday, Nov. 1, as his campaign runs out of cash and his base support dwindles. The 47-year-old Texas Congressman thanked his remaining supporters on Twitter on Friday evening.
“Our campaign has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively. In that spirit: I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee.
“Thank you for making this campaign possible, and for continuing to believe that we can turn this moment of great peril into a moment of great promise for America and the world.”
Our campaign has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively.
In that spirit: I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee. https://t.co/8jrBPGuX4t
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 1, 2019
President Trump was on Air Force One when O’Rourke dropped out of the race.
“Oh no, Beto just dropped out of race for President despite him saying he was “born for this,” I don’t think so!” he wrote in reference to O’Rourke’s rock star cover story on Vanity Fair magazine.
When O’Rourke graced the April 2019 cover of Vanity Fair, he was considered the Democratic front runner for president.
“I want to be in it. Man, I’m just born to be in it,” he said.
Entertainment guru Oprah Winfrey practically begged Beto to run for president at an event in New York in February, Vanity Fair reports.
But, according to Dailymail.com, O’Rourke struggled to raise cash for his campaign and began dropping in the polls. He only raised $4.5 million in July, August and September.
O’Rourke offered to support the eventual nominee and help to defeat President Trump.
“We will work to ensure that the Democratic nominee is successful in defeating Donald Trump in 2020,” he wrote in a post on Medium.com. “I can tell you firsthand from having the chance to know the candidates, we will be well served by any one of them, and I’m going to be proud to support whoever she or he is.”
We will work to ensure that the Democratic nominee is successful in defeating Donald Trump in 2020. I can tell you firsthand from having the chance to know the candidates, we will be well served by any one of them, and I’m going to be proud to support whoever she or he is.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 1, 2019