Burgum endorses Trump for president

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) endorsed former President Trump for president on Sunday after dropping out of the presidential race last month.

"But four years ago, I was speaking on behalf of President Trump at the Iowa caucuses in Sioux City, and today I'm here to do something that none of the other presidential primary candidates have done. And that's endorse Donald J. Trump for the president of the United States of America," Burgum said at a rally for Trump in Indianola, Iowa.

The North Dakota governor launched a long-shot bid for the White House last year but suspended his 2024 GOP presidential campaign last month after failing to gain traction in the polls, typically averaging between 1 and 2 percent support. Burgum qualified for the first two of the Republican National Committee’s primary debates last year but did not meet the cut for the third one last November.

He praised Trump for his policies on the economy, the border and energy in his endorsement speech.

"I've seen President Trump and what he's been able to do. I've seen it as a business leader and I've seen it as a governor. I've seen the difference that President Trump can make because remember when I first took office, President Obama was still president. Trying to work with his administration was a disaster," Burgum said.

"Then President Trump took office and everything changed. States like Iowa, states like North Dakota, heartland states, we were respected. We had a friend and a partner in the White House, who understood us and who wanted to see our states succeed versus being regulated out of business," he said.