“It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year,” Pence said during an appearance on Fox News’ “The Story.”
Pence, 64, and his former boss fell out after the ex-veep refused to throw out the 2020 election results in key states — making him a target of Trump supporters who ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Pence has said that he believes Trump “endangered me and my family” with his rhetoric attacking the then-VP for playing his role in upholding the 45th president’s defeat by Joe Biden.
The former vice president noted Friday that while he was “incredibly proud” of the Trump administration’s record, there are “profound differences” between the two beyond the events of three years ago.
Pence cited the 77-year-old Trump’s about-face on banning TikTok, reservations about abortion restrictions and lack of a plan to address the national debt as reasons for not backing the Republican in his general election rematch against the 81-year-old Biden.
“During my presidential campaign, I made it clear that 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 Jan. 6,” Pence said. “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 is his reversal on getting tough on China and supporting our administration’s effort to force a sale of ByteDance’s TikTok.”
“In each of these cases, Donald Trump is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years,” he added.
“And that’s why I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign.”
Pence declined to say who he’d vote for on Nov. 5, but ruled out casting a ballot for Biden.
The former Indiana governor also dismissed the possibility that he would launch a third-party challenge, telling host Martha MacCallum: “I’m a Republican.”
The vast majority of House and Senate Republicans and GOP governors have endorsed Trump’s White House bid, as have several of his former GOP primary opponents — including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
Pence joins former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as ex-2024 candidates withholding their endorsement of Trump.
Pence joins former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as ex-2024 candidates withholding their endorsement of Trump.