Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker announced the end of his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential race on Monday evening. Walker added a subliminal jab at the current GOP front-runner Donald Trump during his announcement at a press conference held in Madison, Wisconsin.

"Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive conservative message can rise to the top," he said at the news conference. "I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive conservative alternative to the current front-runner."

Walker also criticized the negative tone of the Republican race. He said, "Sadly, the debate taking place in the Republican party today is not focused on that optimistic view of America. Instead, it has drifted into personal attacks."

Despite Walker's jab, Trump applauded Walker in a tweet, saying, "I got to know @ScottWalker well-he's a very nice person and has a great future."

The announcement marked a dramatic fall for the governor, who started the race at the top of the polls earlier this year. However, his campaign took a drastic turn in the wake of the rise of unconventional candidates like Trump and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. He has also suffered from a number of missteps.

According to a recent CNN/ORC poll, Walker had gained support from less than 0.5 percent of GOP primary voters. He also had trouble raising money as his support in polls tanked over the past eight weeks.

Walker's exit also comes after he delivered a lackluster performance in the two GOP primary debates. He is now set to finish his term as the governor of Wisconsin.

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) released a statement following Walker's campaign suspension.

"From the beginning, Walker's campaign showcased the unabashed hostility that the Republican field has for working people, the middle class, immigrants, and women. No matter which Republican emerges as this reality show's victor, voters will ultimately reject the Republican nominee's jaw-dropping determination to cater to the wealthy at the expense of the middle class," said DNC spokesperson TJ Helmstetter in an emailed statement sent to Latin Post.

Watch Walker's announcement speech below.