Wave Wire Services
LOS ANGELES — Longtime radio talk show host Larry Elder has suspended his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination and thrown his support behind former President Donald Trump.
“Throughout my campaign, I have been steadfast in my belief that the biggest issues facing our nation are the crisis of fatherlessness, the dangerous lie that America is systemically racist, the need for an amendment to the Constitution to set federal spending to a fixed percentage of the gross domestic product— otherwise government gets bigger whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge, and the need to remove the Soros-backed [district attorneys] across the country who refuse to enforce the law,” Elder said in a statement.
“The breakdown of the family structure and the absence of positive father figures in the lives of many children have far-reaching consequences for our society, including the crime wave we are currently seeing in America today. I hope that my campaign has helped shine a light on these critical issues and sparked important conversations about how we can solve them.
“As I look at the path forward, and after careful consideration and consultation with my campaign team, I have made the difficult decision to suspend my campaign.”
Elder said he was backing Trump because “his leadership has been instrumental in advancing conservative, America-first principles and policies that have benefited our great nation.”
“Although I am suspending my campaign for president, my commitment to addressing the crisis of fatherlessness, promoting conservative ideals, and supporting the MAGA movement remains unwavering,” Elder said. “I will continue to work tirelessly to advocate for the issues that matter most to the American people.”
The bid was Elder’s second attempt at public office. He topped the field of 46 candidates on the ballot seeking to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2021 recall election with 48.4% of the vote, but voters rejected the attempt to recall Newsom by a 61.9%-38.1% margin.
Elder, 71, was born and raised in South Los Angeles. He graduated from Crenshaw High School in 1970, Brown University in 1974 and the University of Michigan Law School in 1977.
Elder initially worked for a Cleveland law firm, then opened a business which recruited experienced attorneys. He began his broadcasting career in the late 1980s hosting a show on WVIZ, Cleveland’s Public Broadcasting Service station, then moved to WOIO, the Fox affiliate in Cleveland.
Elder joined KABC-AM (790) in 1994, remaining with the station until 2008. He rejoined the station in 2010 and was fired in December 2014. His nationally syndicated show has aired in the Los Angeles area on KRLA-AM (870) since 2015.