Former Vice President Mike Pence wrapped up his first full day as a declared presidential candidate Wednesday night in Iowa at a DailyExpertNews town hall, posing as a veteran, traditional conservative.
But his challenges in a Republican primary field dominated by former President Donald J. Trump were evident during the roughly 90-minute event.
Mr. Pence immediately sought to join the Trump administration’s actions that were applauded by many Republicans, drawing both explicit and oblique contrasts to Mr. Trump, the frontrunner for the nomination. It’s a tough balancing act for any Republican nominee, but especially for Trump’s former vice president, who has so far gained little traction in the polls.
He also tried to emerge as the leading social conservative in the race, citing scripture and emphasizing his opposition to abortion and transgender rights.
“I put my arm around them and their parents, but before they had any chemical or surgical procedure, I said, ‘Wait, wait and see,'” Mr Pence said, when asked about his opposition to gender reassignment concerns . young people, even if their parents agree.
Here are five takeaways:
Trump’s legal troubles were a thorny subject.
A number of Republican 2024 hopefuls have struggled with how to distance themselves from Mr. Trump, who has a strong hold on part of the Republican base.
Mr. Pence confronted that issue early on in town hall, when asked about the possibility of a new charge against Mr. Trump. Federal prosecutors have informed Mr Trump’s legal team that he is the target of an investigation into his handling of classified documents after he leaves office.
“It would be terribly divisive in the country,” Mr Pence said, saying he “hoped” there would be no charges. “It would also send a terrible message to the rest of the world.”
He added, “No one is above the law,” when asked if he thought prosecutors should not press charges even if they believed Mr. Trump committed a crime. But he suggested that the situation involving Mr Trump presented “unique circumstances here”.
Asked if, as president, he would pardon Mr. Trump if convicted of a crime, Mr. Pence instead spoke lightly about his chances in the race.
“I’m not sure if I will be elected president of the United States,” he said. “But I think we have a fighting chance. I really believe we do.”
Mr Pence himself came under scrutiny for document retention, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute.
He was firmer in criticizing Trump on January 6.
Hours before City Hall, Mr. Pence issued his strongest charges yet against Mr. Trump, harassing him about his actions on January 6, 2021.
Mr. Pence, who in 2016 had helped legitimize Mr. Trump in the eyes of some conservatives and had long been his loyal lieutenant, rejected Mr. reject. He provoked “Hang Mike Pence” threats from some in the pro-Trump mob that attacked the Capitol that day.
Speaking at the town hall, moderated by Dana Bash, Mr Pence again made it clear that he and Mr Trump had “a difference” in their approach to the results of the 2020 election.
“That hasn’t changed,” he said. “But there are also major differences of opinion about the future of this country, the future of the Republican Party.”
Asked if he would consider pardoning those who attacked the Capitol, as Mr. Trump has suggested, Mr. Pence said: “I have no interest or do not intend to pardon those who attacked police officers or vandalized our Capitol, to grant grace. They must answer to the law.”
The statement drew little audible reaction from the public.
He tied himself to key decisions of the Trump administration.
While Mr. Pence emphasized the points of disagreement with Mr. Trump, he also spoke frequently about their shared time in the White House, discussing issues as diverse as immigration, abortion and the pandemic, illustrating how difficult it is to record level work. close to a political rival.
“I couldn’t be prouder to have been a vice president in an administration that has named three of the justices that sent Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs,” he said.
At another point, he said, “I’m proud of everything we’ve done during our administration to help families and businesses during the worst pandemic in 100 years.”
He made frequent overtures to evangelical voters.
Mr. Pence, the former governor of Indiana, is a man of deep faith, and his allies see an opening to connect with evangelical voters in Iowa, the leading caucus state home to many socially conservative voters.
Mr. Pence shared his personal journey of faith and peppered his remarks with references to the Bible. He also emphasized his opposition to abortion rights, pledging that “we will not rest or give in until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of American law in every state in the country.”
“If I have the great privilege of being President of the United States, I will support the cause of life at every level,” he said, acknowledging that “we still have a long way to go to win hearts and minds.” heads of the American people.”
Some Republican presidential candidates are hesitant to give details of their positions on abortion policy, or have modulated the way they approach it depending on the audience. Mr. Pence seemed eager to discuss the subject, but he faces fierce competition for the voters who are often most moved by the issue. White evangelical voters ended up being one of Mr. Trump’s most crucial constituencies, and many other candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are fighting hard to get through to those voters as well.
He sometimes sounded like a pre-Trump Republican.
Mr. Pence appealed to former President Ronald Reagan, expressing doubts about spending and calling for a muscular foreign policy that emphasized US leadership in the world.
Throughout the night, he often sounded like a pre-Trump-era Republican candidate.
“It’s also disappointing to me that Donald Trump’s stance on entitlement reform is identical to Joe Biden’s,” Pence said, discussing the social safety net.
He chided both Mr. Trump — and, more obliquely, Mr. DeSantis — for their stance on Ukraine.
“When Vladimir Putin rolled into Ukraine, the former president called him a genius,” Pence said. “I know the difference between a genius and a war criminal.”
He swiped at Mr. DeSantis and said at another point, “I know some in this debate have called the war in Ukraine a territorial dispute. It is not.” Mr. DeSantis, who did use that phrase, has since tried to clarify that description and also called Mr. Putin a war criminal.
And despite his own involvement in the First Step Act, a bipartisan overhaul of criminal justice during the Trump administration, Mr. Pence sounded harsh on crime. “I honestly think we need to take a step back from the approach of the First Step Act,” he said.
As the event drew to a close, Mr. Pence was repeatedly pressed for how he portrayed Mr. Trump as a threat to the Constitution with his pledge to support the Republican nominee. Mr. Pence did not answer directly, insisting: “I don’t think Donald Trump will be the nominee.”