Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday there are “better choices” for Republicans in 2024 other than former President Donald Trump, who launched his third bid for the White House last week at his South Florida club.
Mr. Pence praised the work he and Mr. Trump did together, citing more than 300 judicial appointments to the courts, the defeat of the ISIS caliphate and a peace deal in the Middle East. However, he was saddened that their relationship did not “end well” after they parted “amicably.”
“I believe as we look to the future that we’ll have better choices, and I’m very confident Republican primary voters will choose wisely in the days ahead about who should be our standard bearer,” he told CBS’ “Face The Nation.”
When asked by host Margaret Brennan about criticism by former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who said Mr. Trump is “unfit for office,” Mr. Pence said he is “very different” from his former boss but that they worked very closely together, creating “a record that frankly, the American people cherish”
“But I truly do believe that the times call for leadership that can unite our country around our highest ideals and demonstrate the kind of respect and civility and I think the American people show each other every day,” Mr. Pence added.
When asked if he would support Mr. Trump if he were the nominee, Mr. Pence said he looks “forward to being part of the process in some way,” but later noted that although he thinks there will be “better choices” in 2024, no one other than Mr. Trump could have beaten Hilary Clinton in 2016.
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“When I saw the way Donald Trump came through Indiana, and inspired people who literally felt left behind by the elites in Washington, D.C., literally for decades, I knew that he was going to be elected President of the United States,” he said. “Republican primary voters knew we needed a fighter in the White House, we needed to have that energy that could turn back on the policies of the American left, but I think- I think now calls for a different time.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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