Former Vice President Mike Pence is finally emphasizing his loyalty to the Constitution in his presidential campaign, more than two and a half years after surviving an attempted attack by Donald Trump’s supporters. In a recent interview with Fox News, Pence revealed that Trump and his lawyers asked him to reject votes and essentially overturn the 2020 election results. Pence, who was a central figure in the indictment against Trump, stated that he rejected these requests in order to uphold his oath to the American people and God.
However, Pence’s change in tone may be too late to boost his presidential prospects. With less than three weeks until the first Republican primary debate, Pence is polling at only 5%, compared to Trump’s 53%. Furthermore, a majority of GOP voters still believe Trump’s baseless claims that the election was “stolen” from him. Republican pollster Neil Newhouse stated that Pence’s comments are falling on deaf ears among the party’s base.
While Pence has always maintained that Trump was wrong in asserting that he had the power to grant him a second term, it is only now that he is placing his actions at the forefront. Pence’s adviser, Marc Short, confirmed that Pence is not revealing new information but is instead aggressively defending himself against Trump’s lies. In a recent Q&A session, Pence vehemently defended his actions and emphasized that the president’s allegations were false.
Pence’s campaign has even turned a line from the indictment, in which Trump criticized him, into a point of pride. The campaign is selling merchandise with the phrase “Too honest” as an attempt to contrast Pence’s integrity with Trump’s constant falsehoods.
However, Pence’s belated defense may not be enough to regain support. Other Republican leaders, such as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, have been reluctant to confront Trump. McConnell, while publicly condemning Trump, convinced enough Senate Republicans not to find him guilty after the House impeachment. McCarthy even made amends with Trump shortly after the Capitol attack. The Republican National Committee, led by Ronna McDaniel, has also failed to criticize Trump’s behavior. As a result, Trump’s revisionist history of the events on January 6 has become accepted within the party.
Some attribute this failure to act to the influence of right-wing media, which has remained supportive of Trump throughout and after the Capitol attack. Conservative media’s focus on Trump’s ability to drive ratings and attention has enabled his resurgence when many thought his political career was over.
Political consultant David Axelrod believes that party leaders may not have been able to change the outcome even if they had rallied against Trump. Pence’s current attempt to reframe his actions as heroic is seen by some as too little, too late. Jennifer Horn, a former GOP state chair, criticizes Pence for his years of defending Trump and believes that his silence allowed the events on January 6 to unfold.
In conclusion, while Pence is now emphasizing his faithfulness to the Constitution, it remains to be seen whether this change in tone will resonate with voters who have already formed their opinions.
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