Carson sees no ‘political path forward’

by Jesse Byrnes - 03/02/16 2:09 PM ET

Ben Carson told supporters on Wednesday afternoon that he doesn’t see a “path forward” for his presidential campaign and will not attend the GOP debate Thursday night.

Carson did not mention formally suspending his campaign in a statement, but he will discuss his political future Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

{mosads}The retired neurosurgeon insisted on Tuesday night that he was “not ready to quit” despite a poor showing in Super Tuesday states.

Carson has acknowledged pressure from fellow Republicans to call it quits amid an effort to coalesce support around a single rival to Donald Trump, who is dominating the GOP field.

A report from CNN late Tuesday also indicated that GOP operatives were planning to try to persuade Carson to end his bid and instead run for the Senate seat in Florida being vacated by rival Marco Rubio.

Carson, a star in conservative circles who became well-known after criticizing President Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013, was once a front-runner in the GOP field. He was the only candidate to overtake Trump in national polls, outperforming the billionaire last October.

But Carson failed to keep up in a fast-moving Republican race dominated by Trump’s brash personality and harsh rhetoric.

Carson, who stumbled on foreign policy, also struggled to stand out in a series of debates.

Internally, his campaign was marred by turmoil at an important moment, ending 2015 with the resignation of his campaign manager and communications director. The staff shakeup, along with changes in strategy, came just weeks before the first votes in the GOP race were cast in Iowa, where Ted Cruz outflanked the field to win.

Updated at 3:06 p.m.

Read Carson’s entire statement to supporters below:

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.

Tags 2016 GOP primary Donald Trump Marco Rubio Ted Cruz