South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has dropped out of the 2024 Republican presidential race, leaving the field with only four candidates -- former US President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
In a post on X late Sunday night, Scott said: "Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president. Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life.
"From the bottom of my heart, thank you. God Bless the United States of America."
Speaking to Fox News on Sunday evening, he said that "I love America more today than I did on May 22".
"But when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign."
The announcement came as a surprise for many of Scott's aides and donors although the South Carolina Republican was already struggling with poll numbers stagnating, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to CNN, following last week's third Republican presidential debate, the super political action committee supporting Scott decided not to make a new investment.
Responding to Scott's announcement, DeSantis said: "Tim Scott is a strong conservative with bold ideas about how to get our country back on track. I respect his courage to run this campaign and thank him for his service to America and the US Senate.
"I look forward to Tim continuing to be a leader in our party for years to come."
The Senator launched his campaign in May, hoping to bring an optimistic message and made his personal story a central narrative, often speaking about growing up in poverty in South Carolina raised by a single mother and using those experiences to counter Democratic arguments on a wide range of issues, from criminal justice to education to economic policy, CNN reported.
Scott's departure from the Republican presidential race came roughly two weeks after former Vice President Mike Pence suspended his campaign in late October.
The race has been dominated by former President Trump, who is facing four criminal indictments.
(With inputsw from IANS)
