https://www.facebook.com/GovBillWeld/posts/2608520779392292?__tn__=K-R
March 18, 2020 facebook post

Fmr. Gov. Bill Weld (R-MA) Announces Suspension of Campaign

Today, I'm announcing that I am suspending my candidacy for President of the United States, effective immediately.

I am immensely grateful to all the patriotic women and men who have stood with me during the past eleven months in our effort to bring better government to Washington, D.C.

Two years ago I became concerned enough about the future of this country to begin exploring the possibility of running for President. It is a job I feel certain I have the experience and vision to do.

Thousands of supporters and donors from across the country joined our cause, working day and night to promote strong, experienced, decent leadership for the United States. They were determined and indefatigable in their efforts to give Americans a better choice in the 2020 presidential election. Leading this movement has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I will be forever indebted to all who have played a part.

I have also absorbed a few lessons from this campaign and the opportunities it provided to listen to Americans from all walks of life, and am today more convinced than ever that we face imperatives which must be addressed by the national government:

The reason that people all over the world look to the United States for leadership, as they do, is our dedication to the rule of law under our Constitution. It is therefore of the highest importance that the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government, including the President of the United States and the U. S. Justice Department, observe the rule of law in all cases and do justice without fear or favor. Without that we will truly have lost our compass.

Federal budget deficits of over a trillion dollars per year are irresponsible. There is no such thing as “the Government’s money”: there is only taxpayers’ money.

The President should—I would say must—use his emergency powers to put a price per ton on carbon emitted into the atmosphere by coal companies, oil companies, and other major polluters, to prevent the melting of the north polar ice cap, which would have catastrophic environmental consequences for our entire planet, notably including the United States.

The President must strengthen our relationships with our military allies, who are force multipliers in the essential task of keeping the sea lanes and air lanes open for free trade among nations.

The Executive Branch, headed by the President, needs to issue many more immigrant work visas, in order to fully staff our agricultural, construction, and tourism industries.

Because of the damage that has been done to our social fabric during the past three years, in order to maintain national unity the U.S. Government must now directly address income inequality, by cutting taxes for lower income wage earners and families living below the federal poverty line.
While I am suspending my candidacy, I want to be clear that I am not suspending my commitment to our nation and to the democratic institutions that set us apart.

America is truly the greatest country on Earth. It’s up to each of us to ensure that it remains so.