Former Vice President Mike Pence suggested he might not support his ex-boss, former President Donald Trump, if he’s picked to be the Republican nominee for president in 2024.
At an event at Georgetown University on Wednesday, Pence was asked whether he would support Trump for president.
“Well, there might be somebody else I’d prefer more,” he replied, which drew laughter from the audience. The former vice president then pivoted attention to the upcoming midterms.
“I have every confidence that the Republican Party is going to sort out leadership,” he said. “All my focus has been on the midterm elections and it’ll stay that way for the next 20 days. But after that, we’ll be thinking about the future, ours and the nation’s. And I’ll keep you posted, OK?”
The former Indiana governor has been campaigning in many key states and potentially setting himself up for a White House bid. Marc Short, Pence’s former top aide, told CBS News in September that he’ll likely make a decision about whether he’ll run for office next year.
During his Wednesday speech, Pence told students the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol was “unacceptable” and remarked how lawmakers returned to the building to certify President Biden’s win several hours later.
“January 6th was a tragic day,” Pence said. “But thanks to the courage of law enforcement at the Capitol and federal law enforcement, the violence was quelled. And we reconvened the Congress the very same day and we completed our duty under the Constitution of the United States and the laws of this country.”
Several students walked out during Pence’s speech at the oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the U.S. One video showed people leaving their seats, with one person holding an LGBTQ flag. Pence has opposed same-sex marriage throughout his political career and received criticism for pursing anti-LGBTQ policies during his time as governor of Indiana.
