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Walker now urges others to quit to stop Trump

Douglas Ernst

Sept. 21, 2015

GOP frontrunner Donald Trump

He was initially thought to be one of the best chances Republicans had for retaking the White House when the campaign began.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker

But now Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is calling it quits – and he’s urging many of his GOP rivals to join him so the Republican Party can stop front-runner Donald Trump.

“Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With this in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately,” said Walker during a Madison, Wisconsin press conference.

“I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current frontrunner. This is fundamentally important to the future of the party and, more importantly, to the future of our country.”

Walker said the GOP presidential debate on Sept. 16 made him feel that the party “has drifted into personal attacks.” He said U.S. voters want to be for something “and not against someone.”

Watch Walker’s press conference announcing his decision to quit the race:

Walker said the Republican Party needs to focus on the basics again, including its emphasis on a strong military and its belief in the American people. He also borrowed Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," in his swipe at the billionaire.

"These ideas will help us win the election next fall," he said. "And more importantly, these ideas will make our country great again."

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Before Walker's statement, supporter told the New York Times that the candidate stepped down for another reason: money.

The source said fundraising dried up when Walker failed to gain traction in nationwide polls. A recent CNN/ORC poll showed him with less than one-half of one percent support from Republican primary voters.

“The short answer is money. He’s made a decision not to limp into Iowa," the supporter told the Times.

What do YOU think? With Gov. Scott Walker now gone, who will be next GOP candidate to drop out? Sound off in today's WND poll

“Donors have totally dried up for Walker," another source told the paper. "Everyone I know was just totally stunned by how difficult the fund-raising became, but the candidate and the campaign just couldn’t inspire confidence."

Political pundits feared for weeks the large size of Walker's campaign put him in a precarious financial position. At last count, the governor's campaign had ballooned to 90 staff and paid consultants, the Washington Post reported Friday.

The Wisconsin governor initially led his Republican rivals last spring when he announced his candidacy at the Iowa Freedom Summit, but soon found himself starving for media attention with the emergence of billionaire Donald Trump.

The 47-year-old man who called himself "aggressively normal" soon found himself incapable of competing with Trump's headline-grabbing opinions on illegal immigration to Islamic terrorism.

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Walker also did himself no favors with a CNN debate performance Sept. 16 in Simi Valley, California. The governor was overshadowed by a standout performance by Carly Fiorina and fireworks between Trump and former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

Stanley S. Hubbard, a top Walker donor, told the Washington Post he donated money to four of Walker's competitors after the debate. Although he was "disappointed" in Walker's performance, he still maintained, "This guy's got what it takes to be elected."

"My record shows that I know how to fight and win. Now, more than ever, we need a president who will fight and win for America," Walker said Jan. 14, Reuters reported.

He officially added a loss to his record on Friday.

Walker is the second high-profile Republican to end his 2016 candidacy. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry ended his quest for the White House earlier this month.

Not even an hour had passed after Walker's announcement before other Republican candidates began trying to recruit his millionaire and billionaire donors.

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