Mike Pence, the former vice president of the United States, still has not decided who he will vote for in the upcoming presidential elections in November this year but is sure he will not vote for Donald Trump, the former president he served with.
Pence, 64, told Fox News on Friday that he “cannot in good conscience” endorse presumptive GOP nominee Trump, 77, as he believes his ex-running mate “is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years”.
The former vice president withheld an endorsement in the 2024 Republican primary despite vowing to support the eventual GOP nominee after ending his own presidential bid in October.
After Pence dropped out of the presidential race, Trump had said that he should endorse him, saying, “I chose him, made him vice president. But … people in politics can be very disloyal.”
Pence expressed pride in the Trump-Pence administration, but criticised Trump’s stance on abortion, US national debt, and TikTok, arguing that he Trump has shifted from conservative issues.
Pence said: “As I have watched his candidacy unfold, I’ve seen him walking away from our commitment to confronting the national debt. I’ve seen him starting to shy away from a commitment to the sanctity of human life.
“And this last week, his reversal on getting tough on China and supporting our administration’s efforts to force a sale of ByteDance’s TikTok.”
While Pence did not reveal who he’ll vote for in the 2024 general election and said that he’ll keep “my vote to myself,” he ensured that he will “never vote” for President Joe Biden.
He also suggested that he would not back a third-party candidate.
Pence’s relation with Trump soured after the former vice president decided not to overturn the 2020 election results while overseeing Congress’ certification of Biden’s win on January 6, 2021.
He later claimed Trump’s “reckless words” that day “endangered” his family and others at the US Capitol.
