Far-left billionaire activist Tom Steyer’s campaign announced on Saturday that the candidate was dropping out of the presidential race after failing again in another Democratic primary.
“The news came after Mr. Steyer, 62, failed to capitalize on his investment of millions of dollars in South Carolina, where he had pinned the hopes of his campaign,” The New York Times reported. “Despite spending more than $175 million on adverting throughout his campaign, Mr. Steyer did not earn any national pledged delegates in Iowa, New Hampshire or Nevada, making South Carolina something of a make-or-break state for his continued viability.”
“There’s no question today that this campaign, we were disappointed with where we came out, I think we got one or two delegates from congressional districts, which I thank South Carolina for and the people,” Steyer said. “But I said, ‘if I didn’t see a path to winning, that I would suspend my campaign. And honestly, I can’t see a path where I can win the presidency. So am I going to continue to work on every single one of these issues? Yes, of course I am, because I’ve never stopped. That’s what I’m here for.”
“And let me say, I kept trying to say this during the campaign, I’m a huge grass roots person,” Steyer continued. “I of course will be supporting, I’ve said from the beginning, every Democrat is a million times better than Trump. Trump is a disaster and let me this, we’re in South Carolina, Lindsey Graham is a disaster, he’s a disaster for the people here.”
“And let me say once last thing,” Steyer concluded, “When the Lord closes a door, he opens a window. I will find that window and crawl through it with you, I promise you that.”
Steyer was widely mocked online after he danced and sang along with a rapper on Friday night in an apparent attempt to appeal to his targeted audience.
When you have to "back that azz up" out of the race after you spend $22.5 million in ad buys and can't hit 15%pic.twitter.com/DI06UM3yk5
— Mike Hahn (@mikehahn_) March 1, 2020
Back that campaign up — Tom Steyer is dropping out of 2020 race.
— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) March 1, 2020
Others attacked the amount of money that he spent on his hopeless campaign.
“Tom Steyer spent a quarter of a billion dollars on his campaign and he might end up without a single delegate,” Josh Jordan wrote. “Just imagine all of the good he could’ve done with that money instead of burning it on the ultimate ego trip, which ended with America resoundingly rejecting him. lol.”
Tom Steyer spent a quarter of a billion dollars on his campaign and he might end up without a single delegate.
Just imagine all of the good he could've done with that money instead of burning it on the ultimate ego trip, which ended with America resoundingly rejecting him.
lol.
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) March 1, 2020
The Daily Wire highlighted last year Steyer’s general stance on political issues:
Perhaps more so than any of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, Steyer’s candidacy revolves around one core issue: Environmentalism. He has made global warming prevention, opposition to the oil and natural gas industries, and a concomitant greater government role in investing in alternative energy sources the central tenets of his public activist profile. Steyer has a less prolific track record and history of commentary on other issues, but all available evidences points toward his being an across-the-board, full-spectrum progressive/leftist. For example, his 2020 campaign website also touts his work in “promot[ing] social justice and increas[ing] participation in our democracy through voter registration and grassroots organizing.”
This report has been updated to include additional information.