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Former GOP presidential candidate Perry Johnson endorses Trump

Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson addresses the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, June 24, 2023.

Former Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson on Monday endorsed former President Trump after suspending his White House bid last week.  

The Michigan businessman, who mostly ran a self-funded campaign, said in a statement on X,  the platform previously known as Twitter, that Trump is the only person in the race who can beat President Biden in the general election. 

“After suspending my campaign for President on Friday, there is now only one candidate in this race who can provide a solution to our nation’s economic, foreign policy and social crises, and most importantly, beat Joe Biden at the ballot box,” Johnson wrote. “That person is Donald Trump.” 

“I look forward to assisting in efforts to elect him next year and uniting with other conservatives to defeat Joe Biden in November,” Johnson added. 

Johnson, who announced his candidacy in March, struggled to leave his mark in the national polling. He failed to make the cut in GOP debates and was unlikely to make the third one considering the heightened requirement for donors and polling averages. 

In the Friday statement where he announced he was ending his presidential bid, Johnson decried the “corruption” in the Republican National Committee (RNC) after he didn’t make the party’s debate stage.

“The corruption among leaders at the RNC during this process was appalling,” Johnson wrote. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the people should decide the next president of the United States, not the head of the RNC and her cronies.”

Last year, the businessman failed to get on the ballot during the Michigan gubernatorial race after the court ruled that he utilized fake signatures.