Former Vice President Mike Pence, struggling to make the cut for the first Republican presidential debate later this month, told a small audience in his home state of Indiana he does not want to “talk about the news of the day,” an apparent reference to the third and most consequential indictment of his former boss, Donald Trump, this time for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
On Tuesday Pence released a statement on the indictment, mentioning Trump just one time, near the end.
“Today’s indictment serves as an important reminder: anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States. I will have more to say about the government’s case after reviewing the indictment. The former president is entitled to the presumption of innocence but with this indictment, his candidacy means more talk about January 6th and more distractions. As Americans, his candidacy means less attention paid to Joe Biden’s disastrous economic policies afflicting millions across the United States and to the pattern of corruption with Hunter.”
“Our country is more important than one man. Our constitution is more important than any one man’s career. On January 6th, Former President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. I chose the Constitution and I always will. As your president, I will not yield an inch in defending America, our people, or our values, and I promise you: I will do so in a way consistent with my oath to the Constitution and the character and decency of the American people. We will restore a threshold of integrity and civility in public life so we can bring real solutions to the challenges plaguing our nation.”
Tuesday night MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell declared Pence will be Special Counsel Jack Smith’s “star witness,” and pointed to three words quoted in the Trump indictment: “You’re too honest.” O’Donnell and others have said that quote “obviously” came from Pence.
Foreign policy, national security and political affairs expert David Rothkopf also called Pence Jack Smith’s “star witness,” but added, “he will never be a hero. He enabled as much or more bad behavior than he opposed. We can be grateful for what he did on Jan 6 & apparently his notes & someday his testimony, but still see the totality of his weak, failed tenure.”
Pence appears to have solidified his campaign focus, promising to reduce inflation despite it having dropped dramatically to just 3%, from over 9% a year ago, under President Biden’s “Bidenomics.”
At the Indiana State Fair on Wednesday Pence spent about 25 minutes talking mostly about the economy, including the price of eggs.
“Last week I actually became the first Republican candidate for president to actually lay out a plan for how we tackle inflation,” Pence told the small crowd.
He also promised a “conversation” about “the real drivers of federal spending,” which he said “frankly is entitlements: Social Security and Medicare.”
Despite having been a U.S. Congressman, a state governor, and the Vice President, Pence has failed to make inroads. Seven Republicans including Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, have qualified to appear on stage on August 23 for the first GOP presidential debate. Pence “has met the polling threshold but has yet to amass a sufficient number of donors, raising the possibility that he might not qualify for the party’s first debate,” the Associated Press reported this week.
Watch a short clip of Pence’s remarks below or at this link.