Pence: ‘New Republican Isolationism’ Is Because of Biden’s Failures

TAPPER Mr Vice President ░░░░░░░░ ve been talking to ░░░░░░░░ leaders there in Belgium ░░░░░░░░ you travel across Europe ░░░░░░░░ are you hearing from ░░░░░░░░ leaders about Russia s ░░░░░░░░ against Ukraine how dire ░░░░░░░░ situation is there their ░░░░░░░░ about what Putin will ░░░░░░░░ after Ukraine Pence Well ░░░░░░░░ think you actually used ░░░░░░░░ word that I ve ░░░░░░░░ most often and that ░░░░░░░░ the situation in Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ dire today But the ░░░░░░░░ is that there s ░░░░░░░░ gathering storm that I ░░░░░░░░ our allies here in ░░░░░░░░ recognize That s why ░░░░░░░░ s so heartening to ░░░░░░░░ to see Speaker Mike ░░░░░░░░ and the Republican leadership ░░░░░░░░ forward on an aid ░░░░░░░░ I think America is ░░░░░░░░ leader of the free ░░░░░░░░ Jake And I think ░░░░░░░░ s important in this ░░░░░░░░ that we accept that ░░░░░░░░ that we renew support ░░░░░░░░ the Ukrainians who fought ░░░░░░░░ this unprovoked and brutal ░░░░░░░░ now for more than ░░░░░░░░ years give them what ░░░░░░░░ need to make the ░░░░░░░░ Because as I said ░░░░░░░░ today and have said ░░░░░░░░ many years I have ░░░░░░░░ doubt in my mind ░░░░░░░░ met Vladimir Putin that ░░░░░░░░ Putin were allowed to ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine it would not ░░░░░░░░ long before he crossed ░░░░░░░░ border of a NATO ░░░░░░░░ where our men and ░░░░░░░░ in uniform would be ░░░░░░░░ to fight So the ░░░░░░░░ is dire Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ to brutalize the people ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine literally fired a ░░░░░░░░ at a hotel that ░░░░░░░░ dozens of lives and ░░░░░░░░ nearly 100 men women ░░░░░░░░ children Now is the ░░░░░░░░ for America to lead ░░░░░░░░ I m encouraged to ░░░░░░░░ the Congress moving in ░░░░░░░░ direction TAPPER They are ░░░░░░░░ in that direction But ░░░░░░░░ s taking quite some ░░░░░░░░ And a lot of ░░░░░░░░ protest against this bill ░░░░░░░░ coming from the right ░░░░░░░░ of the Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ the House some of ░░░░░░░░ Trump s most stalwart ░░░░░░░░ What do you say ░░░░░░░░ them when they say ░░░░░░░░ more not one more ░░░░░░░░ to Ukraine What s ░░░░░░░░ response Pence Well I ░░░░░░░░ to them from my ░░░░░░░░ of experience as vice ░░░░░░░░ from my years serving ░░░░░░░░ the International Relations Committee ░░░░░░░░ the House that this ░░░░░░░░ a real moment of ░░░░░░░░ for the United States ░░░░░░░░ we need to meet ░░░░░░░░ moment because look I ░░░░░░░░ the frustration with the ░░░░░░░░ policies of the Biden ░░░░░░░░ at home and abroad ░░░░░░░░ mean literally the worst ░░░░░░░░ crisis in American history ░░░░░░░░ from Joe Biden undoing ░░░░░░░░ the policies we put ░░░░░░░░ effect record inflation over ░░░░░░░░ last three years and ░░░░░░░░ disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan ░░░░░░░░ undermined the credibility and ░░░░░░░░ confidence of the free ░░░░░░░░ in American leadership I ░░░░░░░░ it all literally set ░░░░░░░░ stage for the moment ░░░░░░░░ re in today And ░░░░░░░░ would just say to ░░░░░░░░ colleagues on Capitol Hill ░░░░░░░░ old friends that now ░░░░░░░░ a moment where the ░░░░░░░░ States of America needs ░░░░░░░░ square our shoulders We ░░░░░░░░ to recognize we are ░░░░░░░░ leader of the free ░░░░░░░░ And we need to ░░░░░░░░ into this moment send ░░░░░░░░ deafening message not just ░░░░░░░░ Russia and Vladimir Putin ░░░░░░░░ but also renew our ░░░░░░░░ to our cherished ally ░░░░░░░░ support Taiwan and also ░░░░░░░░ a very clear message ░░░░░░░░ the mullahs in Tehran ░░░░░░░░ frankly to President Xi ░░░░░░░░ Beijing that America is ░░░░░░░░ to stand firm for ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER You say isolationism ░░░░░░░░ never the answer That ░░░░░░░░ theme of your speech ░░░░░░░░ today The rhetoric of ░░░░░░░░ former running mate Donald ░░░░░░░░ has been a major ░░░░░░░░ factor in your party ░░░░░░░░ Republican Party s gradual ░░░░░░░░ toward a more isolationist ░░░░░░░░ over the past eight ░░░░░░░░ Maybe it s a ░░░░░░░░ view but it s ░░░░░░░░ in power And this ░░░░░░░░ create the climate for ░░░░░░░░ foreign aid fight we ░░░░░░░░ seeing today which is ░░░░░░░░ threatening Speaker Johnson s ░░░░░░░░ Now you have famously ░░░░░░░░ with Mr Trump over ░░░░░░░░ January 6th and his ░░░░░░░░ on foreign aid But ░░░░░░░░ wonder if as Trump ░░░░░░░░ former vice president if ░░░░░░░░ ever feel that maybe ░░░░░░░░ played any role in ░░░░░░░░ erosion of the Reagan ░░░░░░░░ that you stand for ░░░░░░░░ Well first let me ░░░░░░░░ skip over the fact ░░░░░░░░ think Speaker Mike Johnson ░░░░░░░░ in a tough spot ░░░░░░░░ it s a very ░░░░░░░░ majority And I think ░░░░░░░░ the American people will ░░░░░░░░ here is nothing short ░░░░░░░░ moral courage here Speaker ░░░░░░░░ Johnson has decided to ░░░░░░░░ what he believes is ░░░░░░░░ and trust the American ░░░░░░░░ with the outcome in ░░░░░░░░ moment And I commend ░░░░░░░░ for that But as ░░░░░░░░ your question it s ░░░░░░░░ fair question But I ░░░░░░░░ tell you I honestly ░░░░░░░░ the emergence of this ░░░░░░░░ Republican isolationism I believe ░░░░░░░░ something that has come ░░░░░░░░ in the last three ░░░░░░░░ particularly with the disaster ░░░░░░░░ our southern border the ░░░░░░░░ inflation and the Russian ░░░░░░░░ into Ukraine I think ░░░░░░░░ have many Republicans that ░░░░░░░░ falling back to the ░░░░░░░░ that we ve got ░░░░░░░░ here at home We ░░░░░░░░ t solve every problem ░░░░░░░░ the world when the ░░░░░░░░ is that anyone that ░░░░░░░░ that we can t ░░░░░░░░ our border revive our ░░░░░░░░ and be the leader ░░░░░░░░ the free world has ░░░░░░░░ a pretty small view ░░░░░░░░ the greatest nation on ░░░░░░░░ We ve done both ░░░░░░░░ for 75 years We ░░░░░░░░ do both again And ░░░░░░░░ our administration I honestly ░░░░░░░░ Jake that you know ░░░░░░░░ built up our military ░░░░░░░░ stood with our allies ░░░░░░░░ up to our enemies ░░░░░░░░ didn t go looking ░░░░░░░░ foreign entanglements But when ░░░░░░░░ moment presented itself whether ░░░░░░░░ was a fight against ░░░░░░░░ taking down Qasem Soleimani ░░░░░░░░ missiles into Syria we ░░░░░░░░ willing to use American ░░░░░░░░ And that s the ░░░░░░░░ of isolationism That s ░░░░░░░░ leadership TAPPER You have ░░░░░░░░ that you re not ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump You also ░░░░░░░░ not ruled out voting ░░░░░░░░ him Why not Pence ░░░░░░░░ I ll just keep ░░░░░░░░ vote to myself You ░░░░░░░░ I d never vote ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden but I ░░░░░░░░ it was fair Many ░░░░░░░░ had asked me what ░░░░░░░░ posture was going forward ░░░░░░░░ you know based upon ░░░░░░░░ differences the president and ░░░░░░░░ still have over my ░░░░░░░░ duties on January 6th ░░░░░░░░ also as you said ░░░░░░░░ upon how I see ░░░░░░░░ president shying away from ░░░░░░░░ commitment as leader of ░░░░░░░░ free world being prepared ░░░░░░░░ ignore the national debt ░░░░░░░░ even walking away from ░░░░░░░░ commitment to the right ░░░░░░░░ life at the national ░░░░░░░░ I just made it ░░░░░░░░ that I will not ░░░░░░░░ endorsing Donald Trump in ░░░░░░░░ campaign But I ll ░░░░░░░░ my vote on my ░░░░░░░░ and I ll vote ░░░░░░░░ to my conscience in ░░░░░░░░ just like every American ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER Before you go ░░░░░░░░ do have to ask ░░░░░░░░ about Donald Trump s ░░░░░░░░ hush money trial which ░░░░░░░░ underway right now in ░░░░░░░░ York You ve blasted ░░░░░░░░ case that the district ░░░░░░░░ Alvin Bragg has brought ░░░░░░░░ it s quote nothing ░░░░░░░░ of a political prosecution ░░░░░░░░ affected by a Manhattan ░░░░░░░░ A who literally campaigned ░░░░░░░░ bringing charges against one ░░░░░░░░ American unquote Surely you ░░░░░░░░ t think it s ░░░░░░░░ to falsify business records ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ what I know of ░░░░░░░░ that you would ever ░░░░░░░░ a married man cheating ░░░░░░░░ his wife with a ░░░░░░░░ star So forgetting the ░░░░░░░░ for one second what ░░░░░░░░ the underlying alleged behavior ░░░░░░░░ Well look the sort ░░░░░░░░ details of this the ░░░░░░░░ details of this I ░░░░░░░░ to remind you and ░░░░░░░░ viewers that every American ░░░░░░░░ entitled to a presumption ░░░░░░░░ innocence So I want ░░░░░░░░ maintain that posture as ░░░░░░░░ criminal trial goes forward ░░░░░░░░ look there s a ░░░░░░░░ of people across this ░░░░░░░░ look at a case ░░░░░░░░ this that two previous ░░░░░░░░ rejected And the current ░░░░░░░░ actually rejected until he ░░░░░░░░ pressured to bring it ░░░░░░░░ He changed it from ░░░░░░░░ misdemeanor to a felony ░░░░░░░░ this just doesn t ░░░░░░░░ like equal treatment under ░░░░░░░░ law TAPPER Mr Trump ░░░░░░░░ absolutely presumed innocent until ░░░░░░░░ guilty No question about ░░░░░░░░ I did say alleged ░░░░░░░░ Do you think he ░░░░░░░░ innocent of those charges ░░░░░░░░ personal view Pence You ░░░░░░░░ I wouldn t care ░░░░░░░░ speculate about it to ░░░░░░░░ honest with you But ░░░░░░░░ will tell you that ░░░░░░░░ very idea of a ░░░░░░░░ finance case being brought ░░░░░░░░ state court as a ░░░░░░░░ matter someone that s ░░░░░░░░ under campaign finance laws ░░░░░░░░ most of my career ░░░░░░░░ the federal level it ░░░░░░░░ know Jake to be ░░░░░░░░ it just comes across ░░░░░░░░ a stretch TAPPER Former ░░░░░░░░ president Mike Pence thank ░░░░░░░░ so much Travel safe ░░░░░░░░