The former Vice President, who was once a staunch ally of the former President, took to the airwaves Sunday morning to condemn the actions of the same man he spent years supporting. In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mike Pence spoke out against Donald Trump, calling for the Republican Party to move on from his divisive leadership and choose a different candidate for 2024.
“We need new leadership in the Republican Party. We certainly need new leaders in the White House to move us forward,” he said.
Pence, who was at the Capitol on January 6, recounted his experience of seeing “people literally breaking windows, ransacking the Capitol,” and stated that the event “infuriated” him. He also took a dig at Trump’s recent attempt to downplay the violence, saying that “the former president’s words that day were reckless.”
But perhaps the most shocking moment of the interview came when Pence thanked the FBI for bringing the Jan. 6 rioters to justice and refuted Trump’s baseless claims that the attack was the work of the FBI. This bold statement from a Republican, who once lauded Trump as a “law and order” president, will surely ruffle some feathers within the party.
When asked about January 6, Pence said, “I would say to every American, as I did during my presidential campaign, that I know I did my duty that day to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I kept my oath. And they also simply need to look to the facts that the Capitol Hill police endured great hardship and great harm. I think over 120 officers were injured. I saw many of them moving threw the garage where I was spirited on the same day. And the truth is that this was a riot that should never have happened. That as I’ve said many times before, the former president’s words that day were reckless. I believe his history will judge his role in that.”
“It just infuriated me,” Pence said. “I remember thinking, you know, ‘Not this, not here, not at the United States Capitol.'”
Pence also showed his desire for a fresh start for the Republican Party, stating that “we need new leadership in the Republican Party” and encouraging voters in Iowa and New Hampshire to choose a different candidate in the upcoming primaries. However, he stopped short of endorsing any specific challenger, instead giving vague praise to potential candidates such as Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, and Chris Christie.
Despite his attempts to distance himself from Trump, Pence reminded viewers that he had “kept [his] oath,” and supported the Constitution by certifying the results of the 2020 election. This point highlights the stark contrast between Pence, who is now speaking out against his former boss, and other Republican leaders who continue to pander to the former president and perpetuate baseless claims of election fraud.
And that’s why you’ll never be President @Mike_Pence. https://t.co/5fmQzf2War
— Sebastian Gorka DrG (@SebGorka) January 8, 2024
Overall, Pence’s interview on CNN was a bold move, especially considering his desire to remain in the good graces of Republican voters. He spoke out against Trump and emphasized the need for new leadership within the party, but stopped short of fully distancing himself from the former president. It remains to be seen how conservative media and voters will react to Pence’s surprising statements, but one thing is for sure: the Republican Party is in a state of turmoil as it continues to grapple with its past and future under the divisive leadership of Donald Trump.
