Former Vice President of the United States of America (USA), Mike Pence has said that Americans are yearning for new leadership.
In an interview, the Vice President during the Donald Trump administration noted that the performance of the Republicans in the just ended midterm elections was a clear indication that Americans are calling for new set of leaders all together.
Even though Pence did not state categorically that Trump was not fit to be President again, he maintained that a new leadership was key going into the next elections and that the Republicans have better choices in 2024.
“You know, the President has every right to stand for election again, [But] I have a genuine sense that the American people are looking for new leadership that could unite our country around our highest ideals and that would reflect the respect and civility the American people show to one another every day, while still advancing the policies that we advanced during those years of service.”
Mike Pence, Former US VP
Mr. Pence was very measured on his critic of his former boss. However, some of his comments suggested that Donald Trump was not fit to be President again.
For instance, in the course of the interview, Pence said “I think we will have better choices in 2024. I’m very confident that Republican primary voters will choose wisely.”
On whether President Trump’s involvement in the midterm campaigns, led to the party’s abysmal performance, Pence said, “each individual candidate is responsible for their own campaign.”
However, Mike Pence who has in recent times criticised his former boss for the latter’s consistent denial that the Republicans lost the 2020 elections, ceased the moment to criticise Donald Trump again.
Before assenting that individual candidates were responsible for their looses, Pence said, “certainly the President’s continued efforts to relitigate the last election played a role.”
Mike Pence on His Presidential Ambition
Vice President Mike Pence implicitly mentioned that he had Presidential ambitions and may be contesting to lead the Republicans in the next Presidential elections.
Asked whether he will contest the Republican leadership or not, Mr. Pence said that during the holidays, his family will “give prayerful consideration to what [their] role might be in the days ahead.”
Meanwhile, the Former Vice President has been promoting his new memoir titled “So Help Me God.” In a time like this when the search for a new party leader is on, Pence’s memoir may be his way of raising his profile for the upcoming contest.
If Pence is to contest the Republican leadership, he will be in an awkward competition with his former boss, Donald Trump. The man he always defended during their four year term in office.
The only time Mike Pence criticised Donald Trump publicly was on January 06, 2021 after a group of Trump faithful’s stormed the capitol while Pence was presiding over the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory.
On why he never criticised President Trump even when it was obvious they didn’t agree on issues, Pence said, “as his Vice President, I believed it was my role to be loyal to the President.” He added that, “ every step of the way, the way I squared it was I believe that I had been elected Vice President to support the presidency that Donald Trump had been elected to advance.”
“It [Trump’s Presidency] wasn’t exactly the style of Presidency that I would have advanced had I been the first name on the ballot. But it was his Presidency and I was there to support him and help him. And until that fateful day in January 2021, I sought to do just that.”
Mike Pence, Former US VP
Meanwhile, President Trump still remains very popular amongst the Republicans. It is very unlikely that Mike Pence will pose a threat to Trump’s candidature should Pence decide to run for the Republican ticket.
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