Former Vice President Mike Pence will deliver a “major” speech Wednesday in New Hampshire that challenges Republican voters to choose between populism and core conservative values.
The speech is an attempt by Mr. Pence to appeal to traditional GOP voters while taking a thinly veiled swipe at his former boss, former President Donald Trump, who rode to the White House in 2016 with a populist brand that focused on ordinary Americans and their complaints about Washington power brokers and other elites.
“The speech will explore the threats of populism unmoored from conservative principles,” while defining “the choice ahead for both the Republican Party and the nation,” the Pence campaign said.
Mr. Pence served alongside Mr. Trump at the White House from 2017 to 2021.
Yet he is trying to differentiate himself in a crowded primary field that’s been dominated by Mr. Trump and his brand.
The former vice president was quite vocal at the first GOP primary debate in Milwaukee on Aug. 23, showing a spicier side than people are accustomed to seeing from the Midwesterner.
He scolded rivals who were unwilling to push for a nationwide limit on abortion at 15 weeks and defended his decision not to cave to Mr. Trump’s demands in the wake of the 2020 election.
Mr. Pence visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in June and has been supportive of U.S. support for Kyiv’s forces even as Mr. Trump and other GOP rivals question whether it is worth sending more U.S. dollars to the fight in Eastern Europe.
Mr. Pence will deliver his speech, titled “Populism vs. Conservatism: Republicans’ Time for Choosing,” as he polls in the low single-digits in a race dominated by Mr. Trump
A Wall Street Journal poll on Saturday said Mr. Trump enjoys a 46-point lead over his nearest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, while Mr. Pence attracted 2% of primary voters.
The ex-vice president will deliver his speech in the early primary state of New Hampshire.
His appeal could also play well in Iowa, where the evangelicals often favor traditional conservative candidates in the primary caucus that kicks off the 2024 cycle.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.