The 'Never Trump' movement's pick for president just said he isn't running

The "Never Trump" movement received another setback Sunday night, as David French, a conservative writer and lawyer, announced that he would not mount an independent campaign for president.

It came less than a week after conservative editor Bill Kristol supposedly hand-picked him as an alternative to presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"After days of prayer, reflection, and serious study of the possibilities, I am not going to run as an independent candidate for president of the United States," French wrote in a column for National Review.

French suggested there is a window for an independent candidate to succeed in the 2016 election, thanks to the historically low unfavorable ratings of Trump and his likely Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. But he admitted that he is not the man for the job.

"Given the timing, the best chance for success goes to a person who either is extraordinarily wealthy (or has immediate access to extraordinary wealth) or is a transformational political talent," French said in the column.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve my country, and I thank God for the successes I've had as a lawyer and a writer, but it is plain to me that I'm not the right person for this effort," he added.

French, with a lack of name recognition or experience in politics, was a relatively underwhelming pick to take on Trump. Other names that had been floated included 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse.

Read French's column here.