Bill Berrien, a businessman from Wisconsin and a supporter of President Donald Trump, ended his bid for the Republican nomination for governor on Friday. His decision came just days after reports surfaced that he had been following several sexually explicit accounts online, including that of a nonbinary performer in the adult film industry.

Berrien, previously a Navy SEAL and one of three leading Republican candidates, released a detailed statement, expressing surprise at how challenging political office can be, even comparing it to the risks involved in “hunting down war criminals in Bosnia.” He conceded that he saw little chance of winning the Republican primary.

“Looking towards what is in the best interest of the party, voters, donors, and my family, I have decided to end my campaign,” he said.

With Berrien stepping out, the remaining contenders for the Republican nomination are U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany, who joined the race on Tuesday, and Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann. Meanwhile, several Democrats are also vying for their party’s nomination. The primary is scheduled for August.

Berrien has an account on the online platform Medium.com where he followed nonbinary porn performer Jiz Lee and several other authors of sexually explicit essays. He also followed “publications,” which are similar to blogs, that dealt with exploring sexuality, including having relationships with multiple partners.

Lee issued a statement Thursday calling Berrien a hypocrite. Several prominent Republicans had been calling for him to drop out of the race.

Schoemann did not address Berrien’s social media habits in a statement reacting to him withdrawing from the race. Instead, Schoemann said he appreciated his willingness to serve his country as a candidate. Tiffany did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesperson Phil Shulman blamed Berrien’s departure not on his social media activity but his past criticism of Trump.

Conservatives had questioned the viability of Berrien’s candidacy because he had supported former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 presidential primary and said in August 2020 that he hadn’t decided whether to support Trump.

“Bill Berrien is a lesson for all GOP candidates: if you don’t show complete and total loyalty to Trump–past or present–then you better pack your bags and head for the door,” Shulman said in a statement. His failure, despite his resume, financial investment, and doing somersaults to earn Trump’s love, shows just how far the other GOP candidates are going to have to go to win the nomination.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported on his online activity on Monday. Berrien defended his actions to The Associated Press on Tuesday, saying the media was focusing on “stupid articles I read years ago.”

He was even more forceful in his statement dropping out of the race, describing the articles he read and people he followed as “cherry-picked.” He said it “painted a salacious and sensational picture that was clearly targeted to force me out of this governor race. It was a major attack piece.”

“And for what? For reading!” Berrien said. “Nothing illegal, nothing unethical, and nothing immoral. Just reading. Wouldn’t you want your political and business leaders (and all of society, frankly) to be widely read and thoughtful and aware of different perspectives and ideas?”

Berrien, the CEO of Pindel Global Precision, ran as a supporter of “family values.” He had been critical of transgender people in the opening weeks of his candidacy. He quit less than three months after getting in the race.

The governor’s race in battleground Wisconsin is open for the first time since 2010. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers decided against seeking a third term.

The most prominent Democratic candidates are Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez; Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley; state Sen. Kelda Roys; and state Rep. Francesca Hong. Others considering getting in include Attorney General Josh Kaul, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and former state economic development director Missy Hughes.