More speculation over potential White House run in 2024 arose from former vice president’s visit to Iowa
As he spoke to a large gathering of Christian conservatives in Iowa, his first trip since Trump’s departure, former Vice President Mike Pence took aim at President Biden.
Pence stated, “I’m both a Christian and a conservative” as he addressed Friday’s 10th Annual Family Leadership Summit. This is a top-ranking, Iowa-based, social conservative organization for evangelicals.
Pence spoke to the 1,200-strong crowd at the convention center in downtown Des Moines. He said, “To turn this nation around, we must turn the American people to God, back into one nation under God.” Iowa’s capital, and largest city, Des Moines.
Pence stated that “we need to defend believers across the country.” “We must reject any attempt to marginalize Christians or conservatives…We must not allow our schools, government agencies or corporations persecute American citizens because of their deeply held religious beliefs.”
Pence was a former governor of Indiana and a congressman before he became vice president under Donald Trump. He has been an ally for the social conservative movement since long.
President and longtime Family Leader CEO Bob Vander Plaats said earlier this week to Fox News: “Our base (Pence) knows him very well. They were strong supporters of him when he was elected vice president by President Trump. It was one of the reasons our base felt comfortable with Trump.
Pence expressed optimism despite the fact that the Democrats took control of the Senate and White House, and also retained their majority in Congress last year. Pence cited the surprise success of the GOP in 2020 contests, which saw them take a large chunk out of the Democrats’ House majority. He also referred to the Republican wave of 2010 when Republicans won back the House and the 2014 and 2016 Republican surge that saw the GOP retake the Senate and the White House.
He predicted that “we’re going to repeat it all in the next three-and-a half years.” He also stressed that “a unapologetic stand in defense of the sanctity and life” is key to achieving “a winning agenda.”
Pence fired salvos at Biden, as he has done repeatedly in speeches over the past months.
“I came to this place today to tell you that I am tired of 177 days worth of open borders and higher taxes, runaway expenditure, defunding police, abortion on request, censoring free speech, and cancelling our most treasured liberties,” said the ex-vice president.
He stated that “The time is right for all Americans dedicated to faith freedom and belief to stand up against the agendas of the radical left.”
Biden was also accused of wanting to transform America into a European-style secular welfare state. He also criticized the current administration for its “wholehearted embrace” of the radical left’s all-encompassing attack on American culture.
Pence began his day by hosting a fundraiser for GOP Rep. Randy Feenstra in northwest Iowa. In recent months, Pence has been traveling across the country to raise money for Republicans and campaign for them in the 2022 midterm elections.
His Iowa visit has sparked speculation that Pence might run for the White House in 2024. Following high-profile stops in New Hampshire, where he held the first presidential primaries in a century, and South Carolina which voted third on the Republican calendar, his Hawkeye State visit is causing more speculation about Pence’s potential run for the White House in 2024.
