Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence hasn’t ruled himself out as a 2024 presidential candidate, he told Maria Bartiromo on “Mornings with Maria” Friday.
“With regard to me and my family, I tell you, we continue to give prayerful consideration to entering the national race, we’re getting a lot of encouragement around the country,” Pence said.
Pence’s bid would mean America’s 45th VP becomes a contender against his most recent boss, former President Donald Trump. Trump announced in November that he will seek the 2024 Republican nomination after having lost his bid for re-election to Joe Biden in 2020.
“I honestly believe the American people are ready for change,” the former vice president said, “and they’re ready to get back to the policies that we advanced in the Trump-Pence administration.”
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“I really do believe the country’s in a lot of trouble,” Pence added, “and now more than ever, all of us need to reflect very deeply on what we can do individually and what we can do collectively to put America back on the right path.”
Although Pence takes Biden “at his word” when the current president indicates he plans to run for re-election in 2024, the former VP argued Americans recognize that border, inflation and geopolitical crises “are a direct result of the policies of the Biden administration.”
“The disastrous policies of this administration, that withdrawal from Afghanistan, have emboldened the enemies of freedom around the world. So we need to recommit ourselves to our national defense, secure our border,” Pence said. “And secondly, I think you need to focus on getting the economy moving again, end the war on energy.”
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America’s “magnitude” of national debt will be left to our children and grandchildren according to the VP, who also called for an “honest conversation” about reducing the deficit.
“We can reform Social Security in a way that doesn’t touch anyone in retirement today or anyone who will retire in the next 25 years. But we can replace the New Deal with a better deal for younger Americans. I think we’re ready to have that conversation,” Pence said. “Many people think we’re not, say we don’t want to talk about it, I don’t think that’s acceptable to my three new granddaughters, and we’re going to do better.”
