Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday he won’t endorse or participate in this November’s presidential election, expressing concern about the direction of the Republican Party and criticizing Democratic policies.
“For my part, I’m not going to get involved in the presidential election,” Pence said at “The Gathering,” an event hosted by conservative radio host Erick Erickson.
“Because I cannot support the trend, widespread among some in my party, to abandon our allies on the world stage,” he said. said“I cannot support ignoring our national debt, which reached $35 trillion last week alone. I cannot support disregarding the right to life within our party, as seen in our party platform.”
Pence also noted that President Trump repeatedly argued that he should have rejected the results of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, but refused to do so and a mob stormed the Capitol.
The former Indiana governor made it clear that he does not endorse Vice President Harris or the Democratic campaign, saying Republicans “must hold them accountable and make sure the American people know what they are proposing.”
Pence, who lost the Republican primary, has previously said he would not endorse Trump, leading some anti-Trump Republicans to suggest the former vice president should back the Democratic candidate.
Instead, his advocacy group has pledged to invest $20 million this year to shape conservative policies and counter what Pence describes as populism that is “out of step with conservative principles.”
The $20 million effort aims to support candidates who support more traditional conservative principles, such as a strong military and limited government, and defend conservative legislation such as the Trump-era tax cuts.
