Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized “Putin apologists” in the Republican party and commented on the gulf between traditional conservatives and populist candidates partly inspired by Donald Trump.
What Happened: Pence said while speaking at the Heritage Foundation in Washington on Wednesday, “I believe that conservatives must make it clear that Putin must stop and Putin will pay,” reported Associated Press.
“There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists to Putin. There is only room in this movement for champions of freedom,” said the former U.S. vice president.
He sounded a warning against populism ahead of the upcoming mid-term elections due in November by saying that the conservative movement cannot be allowed to be led “astray by the siren song of unprincipled populism,” according to the Press.
Why It Matters: Pence’s speech largely focused on the conservative “Freedom Agenda” he released earlier in the year, which AP noted was a concrete policy plan for Republicans and implicit criticism of Trump.
At a later event at Georgetown University, Pence was asked whether he would vote for Trump. He said, “Well, there might be somebody else I’d prefer more,” — adding, “I’ll keep you posted,” as per the report.
In August, it was reported that Pence was ready to testify before the Jan.6 committee probing the Capitol insurrection. He said at the time that it was “fairly well known” that Trump and he had their differences.
The differences arose after Pence defied Trump’s plan to block the certification of President Joe Biden’s election victory.
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