Walker pulls out of White House race

Scott Walker has halted his 2016 White House bid, warning the Republican race has become too nasty and calling on some of his party rivals to do the same, citing an urgent need to “clear the field” to help defeat front-runner Donald Trump.

The announcement marked a dramatic fall for Walker, 47, who was struggling to generate fundraising and enthusiasm after surging into the race’s top tier earlier in the year. He will return to his job in Wisconsin as governor, where his term runs until 2018.

“Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top of the field. With that in mind, I will suspend my campaign immediately,” Walker said in Wisconsin.