I have great respect for the men and women that have fought for this country. I have family, I have friends that have gone and fought for this country. And they fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone.

I have great respect for the religion. I know a lot of people that are Muslim and are phenomenal people.

I have great respect for people's right to believe what they want to believe. And I don't think anybody should be prosecuted or judged based on what their beliefs are.

I realize that men and women of the military go out and sacrifice their lives and put their selves in harm's way for my freedom of speech and my freedoms in this country, and my freedom to take a seat or take a knee, so I have the utmost respect for them, and I think what I did was taken out of context and spun a different way.

I appreciate those who voted for me, and I respect those who did not. I entered the election race to try to protect national unity, and I withdraw now for the same reason.

That was not what men and women fought for during the war.