(LibertySociety.com) – Former Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would not be endorsing former President Trump during a March 15 Fox News interview with Martha MacCallum. Pence said “it should come as no surprise” that he was choosing not to endorse Trump. He told MacCallum that during his bid for the Republican nomination, he “made it clear that there were profound differences” between him and Trump. He claimed that his decision was not based solely on the events of January 6, 2021, when he disagreed with Trump on his authority as vice president to send electors back to certain states until allegations of fraud could be sorted.
Pence told MacCallum that he had observed Trump renege on prioritizing the reduction of the national debt during his campaign. He claimed that Trump was moving away from his pro-life stance, although Trump has been clear that he believes in the exceptions for abortions, which include rape, incest, and the life of the mother. Pence has advocated for a 15-week nationwide ban on abortion and believes a Republican president should do the same. Many Republicans, including Trump, have said that the overturning of Roe v. Wade sent the issue back to the states to decide. Trump has recently said that he may recommend a nationwide abortion ban, possibly at 16 weeks.
Pence also said that Trump’s softening on China issues, such as his decision to advocate against banning TikTok in the United States, was another reason that he could not commit to an endorsement. In 2020, Trump attempted to force the sale of TikTok to an American-owned company. Since then, the CEO and other top executives have taken various actions to ensure the government that the company was not beholden to the Chinese Communist Party.
Pence told MacCallum that Trump’s agenda conflicts with the agenda they pursued during the Trump administration. He concluded by saying that the voters have spoken regarding who they want to be the Republican nominee, but that his focus would be advocating for the traditional Republican agenda. Pence would not say whether he intends to vote for Trump, making clear that his decision was private. However, he did say that he would never cast his vote for Joe Biden.
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