WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's last remaining Republican presidential competitor, former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld, has suspended his campaign.
The announcement was made Wednesday after Trump's two primary wins Tuesday pushed the president past the 1,276 delegates needed to secure the nomination. He did it two months earlier than he did in 2016.
Lack of major opposition and GOP rule changes helped Trump clinch the nomination on the earliest date the delegate calendar allowed.
Trump's campaign said it shows the enthusiasm of Trump's voters and how unified Republicans are behind him as Democrats continue to wage a contested primary contest.
Weld was only able to secure one delegate, while two other Republican candidates ended their bids before him: Joe Walsh, a former congressman from Illinois, and Mark Sanford, a former South Carolina governor and congressman.
"I'm announcing that I am suspending my candidacy for President of the United States, effective immediately," Weld said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. "I am immensely grateful to all the patriotic women and men who have stood with me during the past eleven months in our effort to bring better government to Washington, D.C."
Weld said while he is suspending his candidacy, he is "not suspending my commitment to our nation." He ended his statement by saying America is the greatest country on Earth, but "it's up to up to each of us to ensure that it remains so."
Weld announced his candidacy on April 15, 2019. He was the 2016 Libertarian vice presidential nominee, and he served two terms as Massachusetts governor in the 1990s.
If elected, Weld said he planned to "return to the principles of Lincoln — equality, dignity and opportunity for all."