Пенс: Трамп „никогаш повеќе не треба да биде претседател“

Горна линија

Former Vice President Mike Pence launched a firm rebuke of his onetime running mate, former President Donald Trump, in a speech Wednesday announcing his own campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, criticizing Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol riots in comments that marked Pence’s most forceful rebuke of Trump to date.

Клучни факти

Pence said “anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution” or asks another person to do so “should never be president again,” referring to Trump’s efforts on January 6, 2021, to pressure Pence to reject the electoral college results of the 2020 presidential election, which he did not have the authority to do.

The former vice president said he “chose the Constitution” that day and “always will,” adding that “Trump was wrong then and he is wrong now”—repeating statements he’s made previously that Trump endangered him and his family through “reckless” words that were widely viewed as encouraging rioters.

Pence also said that Trump has strayed from the “conservative” governing principles they practiced while serving in the White House together, telling the audience in Des Moines, Iowa, “today [Trump] makes no such promise,” noting he is “retreating from the cause of the unborn,” referring to Trump’s refusal to commit to a federal abortion ban (Pence advocates for a nationwide abortion ban).

Клучен цитат

Pence mentioned January 6 in explaining why he’s challenging his former running mate, calling it “a tragic day in the life of our nation . . . the American people deserve to know that on that day President Trump also demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution,” he said.

Голем број

5%. That’s the share of voters who support Pence for the GOP nomination in hypothetical primary matchups, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average.

Главна позадина

Pence filed candidacy paperwork Monday with the Federal Election Commission and debuted his campaign in a video Wednesday in which he made a veiled reference to Trump, noting “different times call for different leadership.” Pence, who bills himself as the traditional Republican candidate in the race and leans into his Christian faith, said in the video America needs a leader “that’ll appeal, as Lincoln said, to the better angels of our nature.” He also accused President Joe Biden and “the radical left” of weakening “America at home and abroad,” citing rising inflation, declining wages and what he said was a looming recession (though the U.S. jobs market continues to post better-than-expected monthly gains that have cooled recession fears). Most of Pence’s previous condemnations of Trump has centered around his actions in the lead up to January 6, though over the weekend, at an event in Iowa, Pence took a swipe at Trump for his positive rhetoric about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and repeated the criticism in his Wednesday speech.

тангента

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum also announced they were joining the growing field for the GOP nomination this week, bringing the total number of Trump challengers to at least nine. Trump leads in most 2024 primary polls, but his closest rival is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Контра

Despite his criticism of Trump, Pence told Fox News he would support the Republican nominee for president, “especially if it’s me,” he said following his speech. Trump has refused to make the pledge.

Дополнителни информации

Mike Pence Launches 2024 Presidential Run (Forbes)

Mike Pence Calls For ‘Different Leadership’ In Presidential Campaign Launch: Here’s The Full 2024 GOP List (Forbes)

Pence Calls Trump Indictment An ‘Outrage’—But Sidesteps Questions About 2024 Impact (Forbes)