Ukraine war: in veiled swipe at Trump, Mike Pence says no room in Republican Party for ‘Putin apologists’
- The former vice-president, in a speech to donors, took on those in his party who have failed to forcefully condemn Putin for his invasion of Ukraine
- He also urged Republicans to move on from the 2020 US election result which Trump still disputes
“Where would Russian tanks be today if Nato had not expanded the borders of freedom? There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin,” Pence said, according to excerpts from the speech, which was closed to reporters. “There is only room for champions of freedom.”
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“Elections are about the future,” Pence said. “My fellow Republicans, we can only win if we are united around an optimistic vision for the future based on our highest values. We cannot win by fighting yesterday’s battles, or by relitigating the past.”
Pence has been increasingly willing to challenge Trump – a dramatic departure from his deferential posture as vice-president.
Last month, he directly rebutted Trump’s false claims that he, as vice-president, could have overturned the results, telling a gathering of lawyers in Florida that Trump was “wrong.”
Still, he joined the oft-stated view of Trump and others in the Republican Party on Friday evening in blaming President Biden for Putin’s actions, accusing the current president of having “squandered the deterrence that our administration put in place to keep Putin and Russia from even trying to redraw international boundaries by force.”
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“It’s no coincidence that Russia waited until 2022 to invade Ukraine,” Pence said, according to excerpts. “Weakness arouses evil, and the magnitude of evil sweeping across Ukraine speaks volumes about this president.”
While Pence allies believe that he can forge a coalition that brings together movement conservatives, white Evangelical Christians and more establishment-minded Republicans, Trump’s attacks on Pence have made him deeply unpopular with large swathes of Trump’s loyal base, potentially complicating his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Pence on January 6 had to be whisked to safety with his family as a group of Trump supporters breached the Capitol building, some chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”