- Mike Pence made one of his strongest accusations against Donald Trump
- Called for early primary state Republicans to give party 'fresh start' in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
- Pence quit in October and is not yet sure whether he will endorse anyone
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Mike Pence made one of his full-throated indictments of former President Donald Trump when he called on Iowa to help with a “fresh start” in 2024.
The January 15 caucuses will provide the first tangible results of the 2024 primaries, showing Trump dominating every poll so far, with only a few minor outliers in recent weeks.
Pence, who was in the primaries until his departure in October, wants Republicans in Iowa and New Hampshire to come together and vote for someone other than Trump.
“I remain hopeful that with the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses just around the corner, all the good Republican voters in those states will reboot our party and give us new leadership to lead our party forward in the elections and beyond. Pence told CNN State of the Union host Jake Tapper on Sunday.
Former Vice President Mike Pence made one of his strongest indictments of Donald Trump when he called on voters in the early primaries to give Republicans a “fresh start” from the ex-president
Running against Trump in the primaries are Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
In addition to having almost no support, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Dallas-based businessman and preacher Ryan Binkley are also still in the running.
Despite knowing he doesn't want his ex-boss to run for president again, Pence says he's not sure he'll actually run in the 2024 primaries.
“I've spoken to several of my old competitors,” Pence told Tapper. “I think highly of Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis. And honestly, Chris Christie has been a friend for years.”
But the former vice president said he “doesn't put much stock in expressions of support.”
“I'm not sure if I will cooperate or if and when I will,” he said. “But I ran for president because I think different times call for different leadership.”
“And I hope that the good people of Iowa that I came to know so well in my campaign, the good people of New Hampshire and South Carolina, will look at this moment and recognize that elections are about the future, and that we need new need elections. leadership in the Republican Party,” he added.
“We certainly need new leadership in the White House to move us forward,” Pence emphasized. “And if I see an opportunity to make an impact on that, I will certainly do so and I will keep you informed.”
Pence dropped out of the primaries in October and says he is unsure whether he will back anyone against Trump
Pence was more reluctant to denounce Trump when he was campaigning for president, but since leaving office his criticism of the former president has slowly increased.
The latest is his most intense break with Trump after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot completely severed the relationship.
Pence refused to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election three years ago, infuriating Trump and prompting him to call his then-vice president a “coward.”
The relationship never recovered.