Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced Friday that he will forgo an independent bid for the White House in 2020.

In a letter posted to his website, Schultz wrote, “I have concluded that an independent campaign for the White House is not how I can best serve our country at this time.”

“I was fueled by a love of country, a profound concern for people’s well-being, and optimism about our nation’s potential to live up to its ideals,” he said of his exploration of a possible presidential campaign.

“In our own communities, we don’t have to look far to see proof that empathy, respect, civility and a collaborative spirit run deep,” he continued. “But not in Washington, D.C., where Democrats and Republicans have consistently put party over country, perpetuated divisiveness and gridlock, and failed to solve big problems and enact solutions on which a majority of people in both parties already agree.”

Schultz came under fire from Democrat activists who warned an independent bid would boost President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. He said people believe an independent bid “might lead to reelecting a uniquely dangerous incumbent president.”

In June, Schultz said he was taking a “detour” from a potential run due to a back injury and would announce his plans around Labor Day.