Pence breaks from Trump allies on foreign policy, blasts ‘Putin apologists’ in GOP

Former Vice President Mike Pence took a firm stance Wednesday on support for Ukraine, warning against “Putin apologists” in the Republican Party and dismissing a push by some close allies of former President Donald Trump for an isolationist foreign policy.

Mr. Pence called for increased support for Ukraine and a tougher stance on aggression by Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I believe that conservatives must make it clear that Putin must stop and Putin will pay. There can be no room in the conservative movement for apologists for Putin,” Mr. Pence said Wednesday at the Heritage Foundation.

The former vice president said the U.S. must stand with Ukraine as Russia continues to wage an “unconscionable war” in the nation.

“We must continue to provide Ukraine with the resources to defend themselves,” Mr. Pence said. “We must continue to bring economic pressure to the most powerful economy in the world, on Russia, and we must continue to provide the generosity, compassion, and prayers of the American people until Russia relents and until peace is restored.”

Mr. Pence‘s comments show a clear break from a growing number of “America First” Republicans in Congress who have resisted providing more aid to Ukraine.

Earlier this year, 57 House Republican and 11 GOP senators voted against a $40 billion aid package to Ukraine, many of whom have accused the Biden administration of putting the needs of foreign allies over Americans.

“$40 billion dollars, but there’s no baby formula for American mothers and babies,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican, said on the House floor in May.

Rep. Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, called the aid package an example of putting the country last.

“Biden wants to send FORTY BILLION that has been taken from taxpayers to Ukraine while our borders remain wide open with historic crossings. This regime prioritizes every other country before it even thinks about our own — this is the definition of America Last,” Mr. Gosar tweeted.

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, North Carolina Republican, even went as far as referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a “thug” and the Ukrainian government as “incredibly corrupt and incredibly evil.”

Other GOP lawmakers said they opposed the aid on fiscal grounds, saying the package was bloated.

Mr. Pence’s comments came on the heels of new audio recordings of Mr. Trump released by veteran journalist Bob Woodward that included conversations in which the former president praised Mr. Putin and other authoritarian leaders.

“I like Putin,” Mr. Trump said in a 2020 interview. “Our relationship should be a very good one. I campaigned on getting along with Russia, China, and everyone else.”

Mr. Pence is walking a fine line, suggesting he wanted to marry the movement of Ronald Reagan to the populist ‘America First’ movement under Mr. Trump, as speculation rises about his plans for 2024.

“Now more than ever, we ought to be thinking not just about Election Day or about the day after Election Day, [but] what the agenda will be for really bringing America back, which you and I all know is by returning America to the principles of the American founding,” Mr. Pence said.

Mr. Pence unveiled his vision for the country in a policy layout that focused on enhancing the anti-abortion and religious liberty movement, promoting patriotic education with less federal intervention, and strengthening the national defense, among other things.

Mr. Pence’s plan was created with the aid of several Republican and conservative leaders, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista, former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, and former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

The proposed agenda calls for a limited government approach to health care, innovation, and education, and could be considered a blueprint for a 2024 presidential run.

Mr. Pence’s political group, Advancing American Freedom, has raised $10 million since it launched in April 2021. It has announced a goal to raise $35 million for itself and a sister organization.

The former vice president has also shown up several times this year in Iowa — a state that plays a critical role in the early presidential nominating process.

Mr. Pence, who has spoken out about his differences with Mr. Trump regarding the 2021 Capitol riot in which rioters called for him to be hanged, also discussed the need to uphold the Constitution at all costs. He did not mention his actions on Jan. 6.

“We will stand for the Constitution. We will hold its principles, even when it would be politically expedient to do otherwise,” he said. “If conservatives don’t defend the Constitution, we won’t just lose elections. We lose our country.”

He credited Mr. Trump for fostering strong national security, and touted the achievements of his administration on the world stage.

“I believe the agenda of the Trump-Pence administration was a marriage of an apologetic commitment to the foundations of the conservative agenda with thoughtful populist priorities driven by the aspirations of the American people,” Mr. Pence said. “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.”

A recent poll showed Mr. Pence lagging far behind Mr. Trump, if he seeks another bid for the White House, but doing well in a field of candidates that doesn’t include his former boss. 

A September survey by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and the Harris Poll had Mr. Pence as the non-Trump favorite among 490 registered Republican voters.

Mr. Trump had 58% of support, compared with Mr. Pence with 13% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 9%.

Minus Mr. Trump, Mr. Pence carried 32% of support over Mr. DeSantis’s 20%. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who was also in the non-Trump poll, had 14%.

The poll, conducted Sept. 15-16, had an error margin of +/-4%.