Former Vice President Mike Pence appears to be on a new, pointed political path these days, and it appears to have him on a collision course with his old boss, the previous Commander in Chief himself: Donald Trump.
Pence, whose relationship with his former boss deteriorated wildly toward the end of their first term in office, has not-so-subtly telegraphed his interest in running for the White House himself in 2024 – a move that will almost surely put him at odds with both Trump and the MAGA Movement as a whole.
His latest sentiment all but seals the deal, it seems.
Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke about the future of the conservative movement Wednesday morning, warning that it cannot be “led astray by the siren song of unprincipled populism.”
Pence said speaking to an audience at the Heritage Foundation:
“Our movement cannot forsake the foundational commitment that we have to security, to limited government, to liberty, and to life. But nor can we allow our movement to be led astray by the siren song of unprincipled populism that’s unmoored from our oldest traditions and most cherished values”.
And then, taking aim at some of Trump’s core philosophies…
“Some in our movement long for a simple return to traditional conservative agenda of the Reagan era,” he said. “Others say our movement should be swept along by a new and energetic sense of populism.”
The former vice president was not entirely dismissive of populism, saying, “We don’t have to choose between one at the expense of the other,” adding that the Trump administration was an example of a “marriage of an unapologetic commitment to the foundations of the conservative agenda with thoughtful, populist priorities driven by the aspirations of the American people.”
“I’m proud to report during the four years of our administration, every single day, we fought for a strong national defense, for free market and free enterprise principles, less government, less taxes, less regulation, and we stood every day for the sanctity of human life,” he explained.
This certainly isn’t the first time that Pence has seemingly signaled his intent to run for higher office again, and the sentiment comes just weeks ahead of what many see as an inevitable reelection announcement from Donald Trump himself.
