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Kevin O'Leary is dropping out of the Conservative leadership race and will endorse Maxime Bernier, multiple sources tell CBC News.
The businessman and reality TV star is ending his campaign only hours before the last leadership debate in Toronto, and two days before party members can start casting their ballots.
O'Leary is confident he could win the Conservative race, but now believes he cannot defeat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the next election.
He has cited his failure to gain traction in Quebec and his poor French-language skills as reasons for dropping out of the leadership race.
O'Leary has spent the better part of his relatively short campaign — he entered the race in January — taking jabs at Trudeau, branding the prime minister "surfer dude" and calling his leadership a "disaster" for the country. He has also said Trudeau negotiating with U.S. President Donald Trump is like "Bambi versus Godzilla."