Former Vice President Mike Pence has returned to supporting President Trump following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
During an interview on Sunday’s edition of Fox News Channel’s The Story with Martha MacCallum, Pence praised Trump for the attack—a move that has sharply divided many of the president’s traditional supporters. The conversation began with MacCallum playing a clip of Pence previously criticizing the president.
“The things that you point out there, the importance of the free world and the fact that President Trump made this very gutsy move, I just want to go back to the pre-election period in 2024, because you joined me here several times then. And this is what you said in March of the election year,” she said before the clip.
Pence says in the footage, “Donald Trump is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years. And that’s why I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign.”
“So, now, at this point in the presidency and watching how it’s playing out, do you have any regrets about that statement back then?” the Fox News host asked.
“You know, the president and I have had our differences, which resulted in me staying out of the 2024 race,” Pence began. “But I have to tell you, I couldn’t be more proud of President Trump’s decisive leadership in this moment or the extraordinary professionalism and courage of our armed forces that brought about this historic mission. I mean, I must tell you, I saw last night as really a continuation of the policies of our administration, where we isolated Iran as never before.”
Pence continued, “We got out of the Iran nuclear deal. We used force first against Syria when they used chemical weapons on their own people. We took down the ISIS caliphate with our military and their leader. And, of course, the president’s decision, which is very reminiscent to last night, the president’s decision to take down Qasem Soleimani.”
“I have been there at his side. And I must tell you, I honestly had no doubt that, if the Iranians did not step up and make a deal to dismantle entirely the Iranian enrichment program, that President Trump would act, our armed forces would deliver. And that’s just what happened,” Pence added.
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