Former Vice President Mike Pence took a swipe at his former boss, President Donald Trump, on Wednesday over Trump’s comments about Ukraine and Russia.
Why It Matters
Though Pence and Trump started out as allies, the former vice president became a pariah in the MAGA world at the end of Trump’s first term after he refused to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Pence and Trump’s icy relationship has since thawed a bit, most notably when the two shook hands while attending former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
Pence also attended Trump’s inauguration and said on X (formerly Twitter), in part, “We encourage all our fellow Americans to join us praying for President Trump and Vice President Vance as they assume the awesome responsibility of leading this great Nation.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence is seen arriving at the inauguration ceremony for Donald Trump in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AFP) (Photo by JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON/AFP via Getty Images)
What To Know
Appearing at a news conference Tuesday, Trump spoke about the Russia-Ukraine war and falsely suggested Ukraine had initiated the conflict. Russia annexed parts of Ukraine in 2014 and launched a military invasion against its neighbor in 2022.
Ukraine “Should’ve ended [the war] in three years,” Trump said Tuesday. “You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
Responding to Trump’s comment, Pence said on X, “Mr. President, Ukraine did not ‘start’ this war. Russia launched an unprovoked and brutal invasion claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. The Road to Peace must be built on the Truth.”
Pence also linked to a Fox News article with the headline, “Russia invades Ukraine in largest European attack since WWII.”
Trump also took aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Truth Social on Wednesday, criticizing him over his handling of the conflict and lambasting him over his poll numbers. Trump also called for Ukraine to hold an election during the war, which it cannot do since the country is under martial law.
“I love Ukraine, but Zelenskyy has done a terrible job, his Country is shattered, and MILLIONS have unnecessarily died – And so it continues…..,” Trump concluded in his post.
What People Are Saying
Dillard University Professor Robert Collins told US via text on Wednesday: “This is basically just a case of Trump parroting the propaganda, talking points from Putin. But this should not surprise anyone. Putin and Trump have had a close personal relationship for many years, starting during Trump’s first term. Trump has always argued that it is in the best interest of the US for him to maintain a close personal relationship with Putin, because that is how he can avoid any sort of military conflicts with Russia.
“Long-term, down the road, there will be negative political consequences simply because the majority of Republicans in Congress do not share Trump’s affection for Putin. Eventually, Trump will start losing Republican votes on foreign policy issues, simply because Republican members of Congress understand they have to run for reelection, so they cannot appear to be sympathetic to Putin. Trump never has to run another election. So he’s not worried about the political fallout,” Collins said.
CNN anchor Jim Sciutto responded on X to Pence’s remarks: “When has a former vice president so directly contradicted the president he served under?”
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York wrote on X Wednesday: “Trump’s comments about the war in Ukraine sounded straight from a Russian propaganda playbook. It’s disgusting. The Ukrainian people did not start this war. Vladimir Putin did. The staggering suffering and destruction they have endured is all because of Vladimir Putin.”
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