FILE: Mike Pence delivers the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation address in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 18, 2020. Photo: U.S. Air Force / Joshua Armstrong, via DVIDS (public domain). Cropped and resized. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
Former Vice President Mike Pence has left open the possibility of another presidential campaign in 2028, saying that people around the country have encouraged him to consider a bid.
“We’ve been hearing from a lot of people around the country. I’ve been very humbled by that,” Pence said in an interview published Friday.
Pence did not announce a campaign or provide a timetable for a decision. The interview noted that he had said in September he had “no plans” to seek the presidency or another elected office in 2028.
Focus on party principles
The former vice president argued that Republicans should settle their policy direction before choosing their next presidential nominee.
Pence said winning the presidency in 2028 was the priority, arguing that Republicans should focus on what they stand for before deciding whom to support.
Pence criticized what he described as the party’s move away from traditional conservative positions under President Donald Trump. He attributed Republicans’ midterm losses in part to that shift.
Pence said the party needed to return to strong defense, limited government, fiscal responsibility and opposition to abortion, or its 2028 nominee would not matter.
Asked whether he could support Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio if he does not run, Pence said he would look for candidates who embrace what he called the party’s “historic traditional conservative agenda.”
White House spokesman Davis Ingle rejected Pence’s criticism in a statement provided for the interview, pointing to the former vice president’s withdrawal from the 2024 Republican nomination contest before the Iowa caucuses.
JBizNews Desk | New York
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