Former vice president Mike Pence responded to Donald Trump’s comments blaming pro-lifers for the GOP’s lackluster midterm performance on Monday by endorsing a statement released by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
“The approach to winning on abortion in federal races, proven for a decade is this: state clearly the ambitious consensus pro-life position and contrast that with the extreme view of Democrat opponents. We look forward to hearing that position fully articulated by Mr. Trump and all presidential candidates,” the organization said in a statement released Monday.
The remarks drew Pence’s approval on Twitter Monday night.
Well Said @sbaprolife!🇺🇸 https://t.co/6hfDroJpOr
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) January 2, 2023
In an effort to shore up support heading into the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, Trump has sought to redirect blame aimed at him for the party’s underwhelming showing during the midterm elections.
“It wasn’t my fault that the Republicans didn’t live up to expectations in the MidTerms,” Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday evening.
“It was the ‘abortion issue,’ poorly handled by many Republicans, especially those that firmly insisted on No Exceptions, even in the case of Rape, Incest, or Life of the Mother, that lost large numbers of Voters. Also, the people that pushed so hard, for decades, against abortion, got their wish from the U.S. Supreme Court, & just plain disappeared, not to be seen again. Plus, Mitch stupid $’s!” Trump added.
The Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade in June, handing back power to individual states to decide how to address the issue. No major Republican office holder or candidate advocated for abortion restrictions without exceptions for the life of the mother during the 2020 cycle.
Trump-backed candidates largely underperformed on Election Day. Across several battleground states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, Trump loyalists from Kari Lake and Herschel Walker to Mehmet Oz and Doug Mastriano fell by the wayside in an environment that heavily favored Republicans.
Since Election Day, Pence has quietly met with donors, released a new book, and highlighted Trump’s conduct during the January 6 attack on the Capitol, prompting speculation that he’s seeking to distance himself from his former boss before announcing his entrance into the 2024 GOP presidential primary.
Trump’s behavior during the January 6 riot, specifically his decision to publicly condemn Pence as rioters roamed the Capitol looking for the vice president, has figured largely in Pence’s criticism of the former president.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution,” Trump tweeted after telling a crowd of his supporters that Pence had the authority to refuse to certify the 2020 election results.
Speaking with ABC a week after the midterms, Pence said Trump’s actions on January 6 “endangered me and my family and everyone at the Capitol building…It was clear he decided to be part of the problem.”