Former Vice President Mike Pence announced a bid for the White House this week, pitting him against a crowded Republican field currently led by his former running mate. The former Indiana governor will likely have a steep climb in order to gain the Republican nomination.
Pence’s announcement received considerable attention and followed the entry of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) into the 2024 foray.
The former vice president took a number of stances both similar to and distancing from his former boss. Pence declared support for stronger border policies, especially in the aftermath of the end of Title 42, originally enacted by former President Donald Trump.
I’m a Christian, a Conservative, and a Republican in that order! #Pence2024 pic.twitter.com/Z019YguEFc
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) June 7, 2023
Much of what Pence discussed in a number of campaign and media events had to do with Trump himself. Pence had previously been relatively indirect in criticizing the former president.
However, Pence levied a number of direct criticisms against Trump this week.
Pence argued that Trump put himself “over the Constitution,” declaring that the former chief executive “should never be President of the United States.”
Pence’s criticism stemmed from disagreements over the results of the 2020 election, which the former president believed was tainted by fraud. The former vice president criticized Trump’s actions on Jan. 6, 2021, during that day’s large protests in Washington and regarding the certification of the Electoral College’s votes.
He said that “when Donald Trump ran for president in 2016 he promised to govern as a conservative. And together we did just that.”
“Today he makes no such promise,” Pence said.
The former vice president said that he was “proud to stand by President Donald Trump every single day when we made America great” and that he was “incredibly proud of our record and everything we accomplished for the American people.”
However, he said that “different times call for different leaders.”
Despite the crowded Republican field, Pence said that he believed that his message could lead him to the 2024 Republican nomination.
He said that “by the time people are making decisions, we won’t just be well-known, we’ll be known well.”
