Joe Walsh ends Republican presidential campaign against Trump

WASHINGTON - Republican Joe Walsh, a former Illinois congressman and tea party favorite turned radio talk show host, announced Friday he is ending his primary bid for the White House.

“I’m suspending my campaign, but our fight against the Cult of Trump is just getting started,” Walsh said in a tweet. “I’m committed to doing everything I can to defeat Trump and his enablers this November.”

Walsh announced he would challenge President Donald Trump in August, saying the incumbent is unfit for office and must be denied a second term.

Rep. Joe Walsh speaks onstage during the 2019 Politicon at Music City Center on Oct. 26, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Politicon)

The longshot had portrayed himself as a legitimate alternative in a party where he said many are opposed to Trump but are “scared to death” of saying so publicly.

His campaign slogan was “Be brave.”

In a post on his campaign website, Walsh acknowledged that "no one, no matter his or her profile, can defeat Donald Trump in a Republican Primary."

“This was confirmed for me firsthand last week in Iowa when I was booed off the stage by primary voters when I said we should expect decency and honesty from our president,” a statement reads. “This is not my party.”

Only former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld remains as a Republican challenger to Trump for the 2020 primaries.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report. It was reported from Cincinnati.