Former Vice President Mike Pence told some of the Republican Party’s top donors Friday night that the party could not offer any support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, in contrast to former President Trump, who called Putin “smart” and “understanding.” during an interview last week.
“There is no place for Putin’s apologists in this party,” Pence said, according to excerpts from a speech received by CBS News. “There is only room for champions of freedom.”
Trump has been criticized by some members of his own party for these comments. But in a speech to the Conservative Conference on Political Action last weekend, even after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine began, Trump reiterated his praise of Putin and ignored the US leadership.
“The problem is not that Putin is smart, which of course is smart, but the real problem is that our leaders are stupid,” Trump told the crowd.
Trump is expected to address donors during Saturday’s retreat.
Much of Pence’s remarks focused on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He told donors he was “deeply inspired” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and criticized some of President Biden’s foreign policy decisions, including the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pence also argues that NATO enlargement is not responsible for Russia’s invasion. Trump often hit NATO while in office, and last week the CPAC criticized NATO leaders for being “not so smart” for tackling preparations for Russia’s invasion.
“Where would our Eastern European friends be today if they were not in NATO?” Pence said. “Where would Russian tanks be today if NATO did not expand its borders of freedom?”
Pence also encouraged Republicans to look to the future, not back to the 2020 election, if they want to be successful in the upcoming interim term. This vision also marks a clear departure from Trump’s point of view; he is still talking at length about his loss in 2020 and continues to make baseless claims that the election was rigged.
“We can’t win by fighting yesterday’s battles or overcoming the past,” Pence said. “The election is for the future. My fellow Republicans, we can only win if we are united around an optimistic vision of the future based on our highest values.”
Pence points out his differences with Trump about a week after the former president told those attending a private reception at the CPAC that they would be “very happy” in response to a question about participating in 2024. Trump also told the crowd he knew “who.” do not want to be vice president “
This is not the first time Pence has criticized his former boss. Last month, he said “Trump is wrong” by claiming that Pence has the right to cancel the election. Last June, Pence said he did not know if he and Trump “will ever see each other face to face” in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
As Pence continues to plan for his future, the former vice president is expected to unveil what he calls the “freedom agenda” he has developed with nearly 50 fellow conservatives.
“Our goal is to help unite the Conservatives around an agenda that is optimistic, forward-looking and completely conservative, and can save our country from the radical left,” Pence said.
Pence accused Mr Biden of “singing the national anthem” during his speech on the state of the union this week, focusing on secure borders, funding the police, keeping schools open and buying American. He also criticized the president’s remarks on immigration reform, transgender children and raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans.
He also raised the issue of the president’s handling of the crisis in Ukraine, saying Mr Biden “squandered the deterrence our administration has imposed to prevent Putin and Russia from even trying to redraw international borders by force”. . He believes the Biden administration needs to take further steps to sanction Russia, including sanctioning all Russian oil exports around the world.
Like other Republicans, Pence paints an optimistic vision of what is at stake in 2022, stressing that by-elections provide a rare opportunity to win a large share of the seats. He said that “smart people (Democrats) are heading for the hills”, referring to more than 30 members of the House who are retiring at the end of this term.
“Let’s be aware of the opportunity before us,” Pence said. “We are seeing a tidal wave of Republican victory on a scale we have not seen since 2010 or even since the Republican Revolution of 1994. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Another Adam Brewster