2024 town halls: Four takeaways from Mike Pence’s CNN town hall
Rachel Schilke
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Former Vice President Mike Pence started his 2024 presidential campaign by appearing at a CNN town hall on Wednesday night, where he attempted to distinguish himself from other presidential candidates and his former boss, former President Donald Trump.
Pence entered the race on Wednesday with a speech in Iowa, home to the GOP‘s first-in-the-nation caucuses. He held his CNN town hall one month after Trump held his in New Hampshire.
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The former vice president talked about everything from policy stances to the scandals surrounding Trump.
Here are four takeaways from Pence’s CNN town hall.
Pence breaks from Trump policy stances
The former vice president made it clear that he could stand out from under Trump’s shadow when it comes to policy decisions.
On Wednesday, Pence said he would not reinstate the program that separated migrant families at the border — a policy that Trump did not rule out bringing back at his own town hall. He also criticized Trump for describing Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “genius” in 2022. Pence also rebuked Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for being naive about the war between Russia and Ukraine, which the Florida governor called a “territorial dispute.
“I know the difference between a genius and a war criminal, and I know who needs to win the war in Ukraine,” Pence said. “And it’s the people fighting for their freedom and fighting to restore their national sovereignty in Ukraine. And America — it’s not our war, but freedom is our fight. And we need to give the people of Ukraine the ability to fight and defend their freedom.”
When it comes to the economy, Pence took a more right-leaning approach to Social Security requirements — a topic that President Joe Biden continues to plug as a target of the Republican Party. He said his 2024 rivals were wrong to take changes to the program off the table and, if president, he would support significantly reducing federal spending.
Pence holds firm on abortion
Abortion is among the hottest topics in the country and is expected to be a major issue for voters in 2024 following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
Pence has been a vocal anti-abortion advocate throughout his political career, and he said on Wednesday he would not change his tune if president.
“I couldn’t be more proud to be vice president in an administration that appointed three of the justices that sent Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history, and gave America a new beginning for life,” Pence said.
The former vice president said he supported exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, but he would “not rest or relent” until strict abortion restrictions are passed in each state.
Leaving abortion decisions to the states versus pursuing a federal ban will likely be a decisive factor among GOP voters when the 2024 primary rolls around.
Pence weighs in on possible DOJ indictment of Trump
Pence focused a lot of his time discussing the former president, trying not to speak too harshly of Trump but making it clear that he was on the side of the Constitution.
He urged the Justice Department not to indict Trump because he said it would “send a terrible message to the wider world.” However, he said, “No one is above the law.”
The DOJ informed Pence’s attorney that there would be no charges brought against Pence related to the classified documents discovered in his Indiana home.
Trump could be facing federal criminal charges as early as next week. The charges would likely come under the Espionage Act, related to the “retention” and “dissemination” of classified information. He also could be charged with obstruction of justice if special counsel Jack Smith determines Trump or his aides deliberately tried to mislead or interfere in a federal investigation.
Pence distances himself from other candidates over Jan. 6 pardons
The former vice president broke with Trump over the legal cases of Jan. 6, 2021, rioters at the U.S. Capitol. Trump and DeSantis both said they would consider pardoning some of the rioters — something Pence said he would not do.
Pence said the U.S. “cannot ever allow what happened on January 6 to happen again in the heart of our democracy.
“I have no interest or no intention of pardoning those that assaulted police officers or vandalized our Capitol. They need to answer to the law,” he said.
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Pence said he will ultimately support the 2024 GOP presidential nominee. However, he does not believe it will be Trump.
“Different times call for different leadership,” Pence said. “The American people don’t look backward, they look forward … I don’t think my old running mate is going to be the Republican nominee for president.”