Former Vice President Mike Pence announced Friday that he will not endorse former President Donald Trump in his third bid for the presidency, although he made it clear he does not support President Joe Biden either.
“I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign,” Pence told FOX News in an interview on “The Story.”
While Pence served as vice president during Trump’s presidency, their relationship soured after the events of Jan. 6, 2021, when Trump pushed Pence to refuse to certify the results of the 2020 election. Pence refused to do so.
Pence said his statement “should come as no surprise” given the many comments he made on his issues with Trump during his own presidential bid. While Pence said he remains proud of the work he and Trump accomplished during their administration, he named several areas where their approach to policy differ.
“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 January the 6th,” Pence said. “As I have watched his candidacy unfold, I’ve seen him walking away from our commitment to confronting the national debt, I have seen him starting to shy away from a commitment to the sanctity of human life and this last week, his reversal on getting tough on China and supporting our administration’s effort to force a sale of ByteDance.”
Pence declined to say who he planned to vote for in November, but clarified that he “would never vote for Joe Biden” and has no plans to run as a third-party candidate.
Several Republican leaders have criticized Trump on similar issues but have nevertheless affirmed their support for him. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed Trump for president last week, despite McConnell’s former statements regarding his disapproval of Trump for his role in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021.
Pence ended his interview by stating that he plans to spend the next few months advocating for his political values for citizens of all parties.
“It is a commitment to limited government and the Constitution, a commitment to a strong defense and American leadership in the world, a commitment to traditional values that has always made this country prosperous and free, and I’m gonna advocate for that,” he said.