A now-former 2024 Republican presidential contender had nothing but contempt for the Republican National Committee, which he blasted as “corrupt” after exiting the race this week.
Perry Johnson, a wealthy Michigan businessman who was funding his own campaign, announced Friday he was suspending his campaign while lamenting government spending, inflation, and what he perceived as corruption in the Republican National Committee,” Newsmax reported.
“I ran for President with the single focus of ensuring that the country my children inherit is just as extraordinary as the America in which I grew up,” Johnson said in a statement.
He said his top concern was the government’s “out-of-control spending, which has caused rampant inflation and forced skyrocketing interest rates,” which, he believes, is “painful for middle America and hurting American families.” He expressed fears that this “recklessness jeopardizes Social Security, Medicare, National Defense, and our whole way of life.”
He also proposed what he dubbed the “Two Cents Plan” as a means of making life much more affordable for a majority of Americans. At the same time, he promised to tackle the fiscal and economic challenges facing the country.
“The Two-Cents Plan will cut two cents off of every dollar in federal discretionary spending to end inflation and solve the debt crisis,” says his campaign website. “It’s simple. It’s reasonable. It can be done.”
Johnson also lambasted the RNC. “The corruption among leaders at the RNC during this process was appalling,” he said.
He went on to accuse the RNC’s leaders of manipulating the debate process in an effort to sideline outsider candidates like himself. He claimed that “corrupt leaders used their authoritarian power to kick me off the stage at 11 p.m. the Monday before the debate,” even as his team was in the process of working out the logistics with Fox News.
He says there should be a much more democratic process when it comes to picking presidential candidates. “The people should decide the next president of the United States, not the head of the RNC and her cronies,” he said.
Newsmax added:
Johnson also left open the possibility of reentering the race, maintaining a small political team in case the campaign’s dynamics changed. He will still appear on the ballot in early contests, including New Hampshire.
According to the Associated Press, Johnson, who unsuccessfully sought the Michigan governorship last year, encountered accusations from the state’s elections bureau of submitting thousands of fraudulent nominating signatures.
Johnson becomes the third 2024 GOP contender to drop out of the race, behind Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Steve Laffey, the former mayor of Cranston, R.I., the latter of whom also criticized the Republican Party he was attempting to represent in the White House as he ended his bid.
“I love being on the trail. I love meeting people,” he told ABC News. “I am crestfallen that I wasn’t able to cross the chasm.”
ABC added that Laffey never managed to break through in national polling, nor did he have any breakout moments that could have put him on voters’ radars. As such, he never qualified for the GOP debates, attributing his low name recognition.
Laffey is the second Republican contender to drop out behind Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. However, unlike Suarez, Laffey decided to withdraw because, in addition to an inability to raise enough money to continue, he said he no longer believes in the GOP message.
“I don’t have an avenue to tell people with a straight face, ‘It’s now October — how do I take off and take New Hampshire and keep going?’ But at the same time, I’m telling people the GOP is dead,” he said, adding that he plans to re-register as an Independent.
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