Ben Carson said Friday that he was suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential campaign.
"Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail, I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation," Carson said at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington.
Members of the audience responded with groans and by saying, "oh, no" and "we love you, Ben."
"A lot of people like me, but they don't vote for me," Carson responded.
The retired pediatric neurosurgeon, 64, all but declared Wednesday that he was
ending his campaign, saying that he did not see a "political path forward" toward winning the nomination.
Carson began his campaign last May.
He explained that he would continue to
remain involved in the political process as national chairman of
My Faith Votes, which was established to get out the Christian vote.
"We cannot continue to be molded by the political class and the media," Carson said. "That is going to destroy us."