Mike Pence news: Ex-VP contradicts himself on Trump charges at CNN town hall launching 2024 campaign
In a crowded field, former Indiana governor looking to stand out from Republican rivals
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Former US vice president Mike Pence officially announced that he is running for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election, pitting him against Donald Trump.
In a speech in Iowa on his 64th birthday, Mr Pence trod a fine line between embracing the record of the Trump administration and attacking Mr Trump for his role in the deadly Capitol riot of 6 January 2021.
In a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening, Mr Pence reasserted his conservative culture war credentials on abortion, gun rights, crime, school choice, and climate change.
When asked about his estranged former boss, he called on the Department of Justice not to prosecute Mr Trump for his alleged mishandling of classified documents, immediately after saying that everyone should be treated equally under the law. Significantly, he refused to say he would pardon the ex-president if he won the White House.
In an increasingly crowded GOP field, Mr Pence faces competition from the likes of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, senator Tim Scott and ex-UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
On Thursday, Mike and Karen Pence celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary on the campaign trail.
CNN town hall gets underway
Mike Pence takes the stage in Des Moines after an introduction from Dana Bash.
As he sits she wishes him a happy birthday. He thanks her and says: “It’s one for the books.”
The first question is why is he running for president.
Bash asks about the line in his kick-off speech regarding January 6.
He said earlier: “President Trump also demanded I choose between him and our Constitution. Now voters will be faced with the same choice. Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president again.”
He reiterates that it was a difficult day and he hoped President Trump would come round to understand the issues but he did not. Pence says he chose the Constitution and that is the most important role of the president.
The first question from the audience is whether Mr Pence would push back against Mr Trump on the idea that he could have changed the outcome of the 2020 election.
Pence referred the member of the public to his speech earlier and confirmed he would push explaining that while he thought there were irregularities in the election, the states certified the election and once that was done his role was simply ceremonial.
He invokes the Bible in his answer.
Pence says he has no interest in pardoning those who called for his death during the Capitol riot on 6 January 2021.
"I have no interest and no intention of pardoning those who assaulted police officers or vandalised our Capitol."
He adds that it can never be allowed to happen again.
Regarding the classified documents against Donald Trump, Pence, on the news that Trump got a target letter from the Department of Justice says the “handling of classified materials is a very serious matter” but then goes on to suggest that his former boss shouldn’t be indicted because it could fuel division here in the US and would “send a terrible message to the wider world”.
Asked if he would pardon a convicted Donald Trump if he is elected president, Pence demurs and says: “I don’t want to speak about hypotheticals I am not sure I am going to be elected president of the US but I believe we have a fighting chance”
Meanwhile, fellow Republican candidate Asa Hutchinson chips in:
The next question from the audience concerns inflation and what Pence would do to keep prices down. He turns the question toward spending.
Follow-up questioning from Bash regards Covid pandemic spending which is regarded to have partly led to inflation. He says he is proud of what Americans did in the pandemic but is will to learn.
Moving on to the issue of abortion in another question from the audience, Pence says he will not rest until he restores the sanctity of life into law in every state.
“I’m pro-life and I don't apologize for it,” Pence said.
“All my time in Congress, I stood for the right the life. I authored the first legislation to defund Planned Parenthood,” he added to applause.
He goes on to say that if we stand for life we need to stand for helping mothers and children too citing recent legislation in Texas.
“I believe that if you’re going to be pro-life you need to be pro-adoption,” Pence said.
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