Carson Will Skip Debate, Sees No 'Political Path Forward'

Bridget Johnson | 11:49 AM on March 02, 2016

*Ben Carson shake hands with supporters during an election night party in Baltimore on March 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)*

After vowing last night that he’d stay in the race at the behest of supporters, Ben Carson said today that he won’t be at this week’s GOP debate and doesn’t see a path to the nomination.

Carson stopped short, though, of formally suspending his campaign, telling supporters in a statement that he’d elaborate more when he speaks at the CPAC conference in Washington on Friday afternoon.

“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,” Carson said in a memo posted on his Facebook page. “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.”

Carson added that he appreciated “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.”

Carson didn’t finish higher than fourth place in any Super Tuesday contests. He has eight delegates thus far.

Last night the pediatric neurosurgeon held a watch party in Baltimore, where he told reporters “millions of Americans plead with me to continue.”

“They want to have a choice and a representative voice to ensure people of faith are not marginalized and that integrity is restored to leadership, with a focus on common sense solutions to the myriad problems we face as a nation,” Carson said. “They know I am a citizen candidate, not a politician, who won’t do what is expedient, but what is right.”

Last night, Carson filmed a video for Independent Journal addressing “haters.”

“A message to the haters is that this is America,” he said. “Sometimes you’re going to face opposition, and sometimes you’re going to find people with whom you disagree. But what good does it do to hate that person? To try to destroy that person?”

“We as Americans can and must do better than that.”

Carson had been encouraging those left in the GOP race to sit down for a meeting about civility.