Pence ‘not going to engage in negative personal attacks’ with Trump

Former Vice President Mike Pence mentioned in a brand new interview with ABC News that he is now not in buying and selling insults with former President Donald Trump, who has been criticizing Pence on-line and at the marketing campaign path — particularly in the wake of Trump’s newest indictment.

In a sit-down in Ankeny, Iowa, ABC News Live Prime anchor Linsey Davis pointed to one contemporary social media post from Trump that accused Pence of going to the “dark side.”

“How do you respond to that?” Davis requested in a clip from the interview, which is able to air on Monday night time.

“Well, I don’t,” Pence responded, shaking his head and chuckling. “Look, I know the former president pretty well. I think more and more Americans every day are getting to know us, getting to know our lifetime of commitment to the conservative agenda. And I’m very heartened by the fact — and you saw it at the Iowa State Fair this week — how many people come up to us on a regular basis and thank us for the stand that we took on that fateful day [on Jan. 6].”

“So I’ll be taking my record to the American people, and the president can continue to do what he does: He can continue to hold forth and level his broadsides,” Pence advised Davis. “But for me, I’m not going to engage in negative personal attacks.”

Watch extra from Mike Pence’s sit-down interview with Linsey Davis on Monday at 7 p.m. ET on ABC News Live Prime.

“I’m going to draw the contrast, lay out the choice and focus on how we make this country more prosperous and more secure after the disastrous policies of President Joe Biden and the White House,” Pence mentioned.

Since he and Trump left place of work, Pence — whilst touting a lot of his accomplishments with Trump — has develop into more and more vocal about disagreeing with Trump’s push to have him reject their election defeat as he presided over Congress in a ceremonial position on Jan. 6, 2021.

That episode is a key a part of Trump’s 3rd legal indictment, out of Washington, which accuses him of conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to impede an legit continuing, obstruction of and try to impede an legit continuing and conspiracy towards rights.

Pence’s position as vp is discussed greater than 100 instances in the indictment.

Trump has pleaded now not in charge and claims the instances are politically motivated.

Pence has described at the marketing campaign path — as he demanding situations the previous president for the 2024 Republican nomination — how, he mentioned, he stood via the Constitution on Jan. 6 in spite of Trump tough he do another way.

Trump accused Pence final week on his Truth Social platform of getting “gone to the dark side,” mocking him as “delusional.” Trump additionally maintained that he by no means advised “Pence to put me above the Constitution.”

Pence opting for now not to engage follows a well-recognized chorus of his at the stump: a promise “to restore a threshold of civility in public life.”

Pence has now not dominated out balloting for Trump in 2024 however has mentioned, “I don’t think I’ll have to.”