Former Vice President Mike Pence has made it clear for the first time that he will not endorse Donald Trump for president.
During his appearance on Friday’s episode of “The Story,” Pence was asked by Martha MacCallum if he would vote for the man he had served under for four years. In contrast to his previous evasive answers, Pence, who had once challenged Trump for the nomination, provided a clear and definitive response.
Martha MacCallum mentioned that she and Jeb Bush have not been in touch since Donald Trump secured the nomination earlier this week. She highlighted that Trump has garnered endorsements from some of his former rivals. MacCallum then asked Bush if he plans on endorsing the former president.
Pence replied:
Well, Martha, I appreciate the question. And it should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. Look, I’m incredibly proud of the record of our administration. It was a conservative record that made America more prosperous, more secure and saw conservatives appointed to our courts in a more peaceful world. But that being said, during my presidential campaign, I made it clear there were profound differences between me and President Trump on a range of issues. And not just our difference on my constitutional duties that I exercised on January 6th. I mean, as I have watched his candidacy unfold, I’ve seen him walking away from our commitment to confronting the national debt. I’ve seen him starting to shy away from a commitment to the sanctity of human life. And this last week his reversal on getting tough on China and supporting our administration’s effort to force a sale of ByteDance, TikTok–
During the interview, MacCallum interjected to inquire about Pence’s perspective on Trump’s change of stance regarding TikTok. Recently, the House passed a bill mandating a Chinese company to divest its ownership in the platform, a measure that the President opposes.
Later in the interview, MacCallum asked Pence if he would vote for President Joe Biden.
“I have no intention of casting my vote for Joe Biden,” Pence declared, emphasizing his decision to keep his preferred candidate undisclosed.
After losing the 2020 election, Trump encouraged Pence, who was presiding over the election’s certification in Congress, to refuse to certify it. Trump’s lawyers argued that Pence had the power to send the election to Republican legislatures in states where Trump had lost and that these legislatures could then vote to recognize slates of Trump electors as the legitimate ones.