Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says he is now “all in” to help likely Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump defeat Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the fall general election and called on fellow Republicans to abandon the “Never Trump” movement.
“The combination of Donald Trump’s blowout of the Indiana vote and Ted Cruz’s decision to end his campaign put the lid on the nomination,” Mr. Huckabee wrote in a statement on his website Wednesday. “Donald Trump will be the 2016 nominee, and I predict he will defeat Hillary Clinton and be the 45th president of the United States.”
Mr. Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa caucuses, announced on Twitter that he was suspending his 2016 presidential campaign as the votes were still being tabulated in Iowa earlier this year.
“I will be all in to help him defeat Hillary Clinton and I call upon all fellow Republicans to unite in defeating Hillary and abandoning and repudiating the hapless ’Never Trump’ nonsense,” Mr. Huckabee wrote.
“The dirty little secret is that the ’Never Trump’ movement was more about providing high-dollar work for the political consultants than stopping the disaster of an Obama third term, which is the result of electing Hillary Clinton,” he said.
“Is Donald Trump as pro-life as me? No. Is he as solid on the marriage issue as me? No. Does his position on Israel come from a deep conviction both politically and Biblically? No. But neither did Ted Cruz’s. And much to my chagrin, the voters didn’t accept my message, but his,” Mr. Huckabee said.
The former governor said he withheld an endorsement during the heat of the primary “because it was the job of the voters to select the person they wanted more than me.”
“Ted Cruz ended his campaign and it’s time to end the strife in the party,” he said. “That can start today with our unifying around the people’s choice, Donald Trump.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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