US Election 2020: Bill Weld bows out of Republican presidential candidacy

Not much news is usually heard regarding the Republican candidates in the upcoming elections in November, and perhaps understandably so as President Donald Trump is campaigning for a second term. Following the results of the primaries, Republican candidate Bill Weld has decided to bow out of the race.

Weld recently announced the suspension of his campaign, which followed after he gained only one delegate from the Republican primaries. The former Massachusetts governor marketed himself as being an anti-Trump and pro-choice Republican prosecutor. He was also among the Republicans who was in favor of Trump’s impeachment and among the very few Republicans who decided to run for President alongside Trump himself.

He first broke the news to his supporters via email. “While I am suspending my candidacy, I want to be clear that I am not suspending my commitment to the nation and to the democratic institutions that set us apart,” wrote Weld. He also thanked his supporters and donors who have supported him throughout the campaigning period.

Trump has already obtained the required number of delegates to secure the Republican nomination, and his popularity amongst the Republican party also added to his advantage. Therefore, the President would naturally be the assumed nominee of the party. Another setback that hit Weld was the Republican rules in the distribution of delegates, and thus only gained one delegate from the Iowa primary.

Republican National Committee chairperson Ronna McDaniel expressed their joy in having Trump become the presumptive nominee for the second time in a statement. “Nobody motivates our base more than President Trump, as evidenced by the historic turnout we’ve seen in state after state this primary season.”

Meanwhile, former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang may have foreshadowed the economic stimulus measure that the lawmakers are doubling down on their efforts to make. Yang promoted the idea of a universal basic income, which involved Americans receiving a monthly check of $1,000 from the government. His message at the time was ignored, but now during an economic crisis due to the coronavirus which saw stocks at a record low, the Trump administration has announced their plans for Americans to receive as much as $1,000 every month to pay their bills and encourage spending to keep the economy afloat.

With this news in mind, Yang tweeted about the sudden congratulatory messages he had been receiving due to his argument finally being entertained by the lawmakers.