Ben Carson Basically Quits Presidential Race

By Kenrya Rankin Mar 03, 2016

After a dismal showing in this week’s Super Tuesday contests—he has just eight delegates, total—Ben Carson all but announced his withdrawal from the presidential race.

He issued a statement yesterday (March 2) that reads in full:

I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit. Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue. Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to saving America for future generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation. I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America. Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people. I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.

The 64-year-old retired neurosurgeon experienced some early success in the Republican candidate field, but he fell from second place to fifth late last year. Critics outside his party pushed back when he made comments disparaging the Black and Islamic communities, saying things like: “All lives matter” and that he would “not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation.”