Mike Pence declares no endorsement for Trump's re-election

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Mar 2024 00:23

Rife tensions between the two have been ongoing since their time in office.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas (AP)

During an interview with Fox News on Friday, former US Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would not be supporting Donald Trump's bid for a second term in the White House.

"It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year," Pence said in the interview.

US media characterized the announcement as a "bombshell" and "startling," but rife tensions between the two have been ongoing since their time in office.

Their relations deteriorated after Trump attempted to coerce Pence into helping him overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. Trump repeatedly criticized Pence on social media when he refused to comply with the plan.

After unsuccessful attempts by Trump and his allies to overturn the election, the former president incited a mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol, resulting in the ransacking of the building and chants of "Hang Mike Pence!"

Pence conveyed to Fox News that Trump was promoting an agenda that diverged from the conservative principles they governed on during their time in office.

The 64-year-old's remarks come shortly after Trump secured adequate delegates to secure the Republican nomination for the November challenge against Biden. Pence, who was one of Trump's initial rivals in the primary race leading up to the 2024 election, withdrew from the race last October after failing to garner significant support in polls.

Pence refrained from providing an alternative endorsement, despite the presence of several third-party candidates. He also made it clear that he would never vote for Biden, who recently secured the Democratic nomination.

While Pence had been fiercely loyal to Trump for many years, he condemned the former president's actions on January 6, 2021, labeling them as "reckless" and stating that they posed a danger to himself and his family.

Trump is currently facing 91 felony charges across four criminal cases, including accusations related to mishandling classified documents and attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, among other alleged offenses. He is also facing growing scrutiny regarding his policy agendas.

Meanwhile, Biden, who would be 86 years old at the conclusion of his next term if re-elected, is striving to reassure a skeptical electorate about his physical and mental capability to effectively serve in the nation's highest office. Both Democratic and Republican voters have expressed dissatisfaction with Biden's handling of immigration and inflation issues.