NEW YORK TIMES
October 19, 2020
WASHINGTON KC — President Raymond Praeger held an emergency press conference this evening to a small gathering including his campaign staff and his wife Carol Praeger. The press conference, which lasted six minutes, included no follow-up questions. Press Secretary Esme Norton informed the crowd gathered that there would be no further questions at this time. The contents of the President's statement are as follows:
“It is with the utmost reverence for the position I’ve had the honor to hold over the past six years that I have made my decision to withdraw my current bid for re-election. This decision has not been made lightly and comes after many hours of deliberation over what is best for the country and my family. The United States of America deserves a leader who can work tirelessly to bring us back to prosperity and unity — not unity like we once had, but unity far greater than any this country has ever seen. I have realized that I am not that man at the moment. My wife has taken on the position of First Lady with the grace and poise of the best, but the limelight has taken a toll on her, and she deserves to have more peace at this point in our lives than she can have at my side if I continue as the President. Furthermore, I find myself toe to toe with someone whom I greatly admire, whom I would love to see at the helm of this country, and I realize that both of us being in the race is helping neither of us, and especially not helping this nation heal by potentially splitting the vote among those who share both of our ideals. For these reasons, I am stepping out of the race and giving my full endorsement to Governor Joshua Harding.”
Social Media has erupted in a firestorm over this unprecedented maneuver by the Praeger campaign. Pundits within Washington have suggested that Praeger may have planned this maneuver since the beginning, serving as a possible explanation for his otherwise light campaign trail presence. The Harding campaign made a brief statement indicating that they support the President's decision and are "honored to have the heroic President's endorsement in these unprecedented times."