Former Indiana governor and candidate for Republican nomination tells Fox News decision ‘should come as no surprise’

Mike Pence will not endorse for president Donald Trump, the man he served as vice-president for four years but whose supporters chanted for Pence to be hanged as they attacked Congress on January 6.

“It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year,” the former Indiana governor and former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination told Fox News on Friday.

Asked why, given that he previously promised to endorse the eventual nominee, Pence mentioned 6 January 2021, the day a mob attacked Congress and Trump was reported to have told aides Pence “deserved” to be hanged for refusing to block certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

  • sramder@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    So glad he finally grew a spine. There’s hope for paralyzed people everywhere.

    • AllonzeeLV@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      To hell with that.

      It’s only growing a spine if it risks costing you power, pence has none and is losing none. Glad he came out against the fascist, but all that might indicate is some small, at least partial return to and recognition of the rational world. He’s patting himself on the back about how virtuous this may make him seem in history, nothing more.

      A sitting Republican Congressperson or party official with no intention of retiring would be demonstrating bravery coming out against the fascist.

      • sramder@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        All true. He probably feels smug about keeping his mouth shut for this long.

        I hope history remembers him for continuing to orate with a fly crawling around on his face :-)

          • sramder@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            LOL 😂 Nah it was great. I’m pretty sure we’re speced for serious discussions here anyway… I just don’t know how anyone 😉

      • shalafi@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Credit due for Pence consulting Dan Quayle and getting sane advice. I’m no fan, but I’ll give him that much.

        • jkrtn@lemmy.ml
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          8 months ago

          “Hey man, can a VP just decide who is the next president? No? Damn, I guess I won’t, then.” So brave.

    • SuperDuper@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      It’s insane how low the bar is for Republicans to be given credit. Doing his job as VP and certifying a lawful election shouldn’t earn him any praise. Not endorsing the man who sent an angry mob to stop him from doing his job shouldn’t earn him any praise.

      This is not a man who “grew a spine,” it’s a pile of wet napkins that got slightly more dry.

      • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        He should have used the 25th amendment on Trump on January 6th. His cabinet was fleeing like rats shortly afterwards, so he probably could have gotten a majority of them to sign on.

        It would have saved his legacy and his party. He could have done so much good, but he chose not to.

    • Mnemnosyne@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      It’s only be a spine if he gets out there and basically campaigns for Biden. If he asks any remaining same conservatives to abandon the Republican party and join the Democrats, until the Republicans wither and die and the Democrats split into a sane pair of parties that can disagree but compromise like it used to be.

      But he won’t do that. None of them have so far.

      • sramder@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        That’s the fucking wild part. Even the few that kind of pitched a little fit on the way stopped short of a good “Look at yourselves, look at what you’ve become!” Type thing.

        I don’t know if it’s a matter of future employment prospects or if they are all really ready to embrace fascism before conceding they broke the system… but it’s sad.