On Wednesday, former US vice president Mike Pence commenced his presidential campaign with a clear distinction between the Republican nomination choices.
He presented it as a decision between the Constitution and a “reckless” Donald Trump, asserting that Trump’s efforts to overturn the previous election should disqualify him from seeking re-election in 2024.
While Pence offered a passionate defense of the policies implemented during the Trump administration, he emphasized his disagreement with the former president’s actions on January 6, 2021.
As Pence oversaw the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, Trump had encouraged a crowd to storm the Capitol.
Despite his unwavering support for Trump throughout their time together, Pence drew a definitive line at that particular incident.
“As I’ve said many times, on that fateful day, president Trump’s words were reckless and endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol,” Pence told supporters in Ankeny, Iowa.
“The American people deserve to know that on that day, President Trump also demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice. I chose the Constitution and I always will.”
Pence established himself as a vice president known for his unwavering loyalty, standing by Trump during a tumultuous four years in the White House while also attracting the support of the religious right.
However, Pence’s decision to reject Trump’s urging to misuse his role as president of the Senate in order to undermine the 2020 election resulted in him being alienated from Trump’s fervent base, as well as the populist leader himself.
During the Capitol attack, where a mob incited by Trump breached barricades and called for Pence’s execution, the vice president was compelled to evacuate for his safety.
Pence, who in a launch video earlier Wednesday insisted that “God is not done with America yet,” is the first modern vice president to challenge his old running mate for his party’s nomination.
His announcement underscored the tightrope that he will have to walk on the campaign trail as he attempts to distance himself from the chaos of the Trump years while taking credit for the gains he believes the country made.
Pence attacked Trump for backing off conservative policies such as tough abortion curbs and fiscal responsibility, and accused him of breaking a promise “on day one” to govern with “decency and civility.”
When asked about media reports that Trump’s lawyers had been informed their client was the target of an investigation into the mishandling of classified documents after he left the White House, Pence told a CNN town hall audience that “no one’s above the law.”
“I would just hope there would be a way for them to move forward without the dramatic and drastic and divisive step of indicting a former president of the United States,” he added.
Pence, who was celebrating his 64th birthday, announced his presidential run a day after former New Jersey governor Chris Christie joined the contest, promising to be the only candidate who would not pull his punches against Trump — still the dominant Republican figure for much of the country.
The presidential race also includes other contenders such as Florida governor Ron DeSantis, along with former governors Nikki Haley and Asa Hutchinson.
Early polls consistently show Donald Trump as the dominant frontrunner, with significant leads of over 30 points against second-place contender DeSantis. The remaining candidates, including Mike Pence, are not reaching double-digit figures in the polls.
Recently, DeSantis visited southern Arizona and highlighted his tough stance on immigration.
He also defended Florida’s decision to transport numerous migrants, mainly from Venezuela, to California via charter flights from Texas.
This taxpayer-funded operation faced criticism from California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who even threatened DeSantis with kidnapping charges.
Newsom referred to DeSantis as a “small, pathetic man” and alleged that the migrants had been deceived into boarding the planes with false promises of employment.
DeSantis responded by criticizing “sanctuary” cities and states, like California, and called for the border to be “shut down” at a round-table discussion in Sierra Vista with law enforcement officials from Florida, Arizona, and Texas.
“That’s the policies that they’ve (staked) out,” DeSantis said, criticizing California’s more relaxed approach to immigration control.
“And then what? When they have to deal with some of the fruits of that, they all of a sudden become very, very upset about that.”
