Rand Paul suspends campaign allegedly 'to do right by his party and help defeat Trump'

Apparently “fight on” has morphed into “the fight is over.”

JUST IN: Kentucky Sen. #RandPaul drops out of 2016 #GOP presidential race: https://t.co/UyPzp8rZD5 via @AP

— The Denver Post (@denverpost) February 3, 2016

The Daily Beast’s Olivia Nuzzi reports that Paul is dropping out now — according to her source — “because he wants to do right by his party and help defeat Trump.”

A source close to Rand's campaign tells me the person to blame for his failure is Steve Grubbs, his top Iowa strategist.

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 3, 2016

Of Grubbs, the source said, "our chief Iowa strategist was way more concerned with selling t-shirts than building an organization"

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 3, 2016

Source complained that Grubbs seemed to have given up on Rand as early as October, and when he'd visit Iowa, Grubbs didn't travel with him.

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 3, 2016

The source said Rand isn't waiting until NH because he wants to do right by his party and help defeat Trump, much like Walker.

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 3, 2016

Doug Stafford, Paul's senior adviser, responds to this by saying that criticisms of Grubbs are "complete crap from people who know nothing."

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 3, 2016

Grubbs didn't answer the phone when I called, FWIW.

— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 3, 2016

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