Former Vice President Mike Pence said the latest Trump indictment sends a clear message that “anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be President of the United States.”
Mr. Pence warned former President Donald Trump’s legal baggage and nonstop focus on relitigating the 2020 election is hurting the GOP brand and boosting President Biden’s re-election push.
“As Americans, his candidacy means less attention paid to Joe Biden’s disastrous economic policies afflicting millions across the United States and to the pattern of corruption with Hunter,” Mr. Pence said. “Our country is more important than one man. Our constitution is more important than any one man’s career.”
Mr. Pence served as Mr. Trump’s loyal wingman for four years.
But the relationship deteriorated after Mr. Pence refused to cower to the pressure Mr. Trump and his allies put on him to stop the certification of the 2020 election results in the leadup to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Mr. Pence’s stance has won him accolades from some Republicans and Democrats, as well as constitutional scholars, who said he lacked the authority to do what Mr. Trump wanted.
But it also has tarnished his image with the Trump-inspired party base, which plays a major role in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
Mr. Pence has been stuck in the single digits in primary polls that also indicate Mr. Trump’s support has become stronger in the wake of previous indictments.
Mr. Pence, however, is sticking with his message, signaling he expects Mr. Trump’s support to wane over the long haul.
“On January 6th, Former President Trump demanded that I choose between him and the Constitution. I chose the Constitution and I always will,” Mr. Pence said Tuesday.
“As your president, I will not yield an inch in defending America, our people, or our values, and I promise you: I will do so in a way consistent with my oath to the Constitution and the character and decency of the American people,” he said. “We will restore a threshold of integrity and civility in public life so we can bring real solutions to the challenges plaguing our nation.”
