(LibertyInsider.org) – Marianne Williamson, the best-selling author and spiritual adviser who sought to challenge President Joe Biden’s bid for re-election, has suspended her presidential campaign. Williamson announced her departure in a video posted on X, previously known as Twitter, on February 7.
When making the announcement, Williamson said, “We did what we could to shed some light in some very darkened times.”
The former candidate also extended her thanks to her supporters and those who donated to her now-defunct campaign along the way. She specifically reached out to her youngest followers, noting that many of them saw hope in her efforts, and encouraged them to continue writing the story of hope she created well into the future.
Williamson’s decision to step down came just after results began to roll in for the Nevada primary election. She managed to secure just 3% of the total vote, a meager showing in comparison to Biden’s more robust 89.4%.
BREAKING: Marianne Williamson suspends her presidential campaign, ending long-shot primary challenge to Biden https://t.co/jBUbbWJj0F
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 8, 2024
Williamson also ran for the presidency in 2020. While she got enough support and donations to enter the race by May 2018, her campaign was plagued by problems.
Williamson’s first misstep took place during the Democratic primary debate in July 2019 when she directed a peculiar comment towards New Zealand President Jacinda Ardern. “Girlfriend, you are so on,” she said. “The United States of America is going to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up.”
This call-out, along with a subsequent pledge to “harness love for political purposes” in an attempt to defeat then-President Donald Trump, quickly drew criticism and mockery. She became a frequent subject of online memes and jokes.
By January 2, 2020, Williamson had fired all of her staff but vowed to keep going. She quit the race just eight days later, endorsing Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) instead.
Williamson kept a low profile for a time after that point but faced intense scrutiny yet again in 2023 when a group of ex-staffers banded together to accuse her of having anger management issues, engaging in emotional and verbal abuse, and fostering a toxic workplace.
“It would be foaming, spitting, uncontrollable rage,” one staffer told Politico. “It was traumatic.” Another recounted an incident where, in a fit of frustration, Williamson repeatedly struck a vehicle with her hand, forcing her to seek hospital treatment.
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