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Mike Pence in October 2023: Trump can no longer count on him

Photo: Caroline Brehman / EPA

From 2017 to 2021, Mike Pence served as Trump's loyal vice president.

Then came the storming of the Capitol and the two became opponents.

Now Pence is making a clear announcement with a view to the election: "It should come as no surprise that I will not support Donald Trump this year," said the Republican in a TV interview on Friday.

The former US president is pursuing an agenda that contradicts his own beliefs.

Pence said he had previously made clear that there were profound differences between him and Trump on a number of issues.

As examples, he cited the vice president's role in certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, the national debt and the issue of abortion.

A few days ago, Trump reached the necessary number of delegates for the nomination as the Republican presidential candidate.

Since Trump no longer had any serious competition in his party, the 77-year-old can no longer be taken away from running for the Republicans.

The Republicans will officially choose their candidate at a party conference in the summer.

This means that the presidential election in November will be a duel between Trump and the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden.

Pence had also applied for his party's candidacy, but dropped out in October.

The 64-year-old is not the only former prominent competitor of Trump who does not want to support the ex-president in the election campaign.

Nikki Haley, who was US ambassador to the United Nations under Trump and resigned about a week and a half ago, has not yet supported Trump either.

On January 6, 2021, Pence refused to give in to Trump's pressure and prevent Congress from certifying the results of the November 3 presidential election.

Trump wanted to overturn Joe Biden's election victory at the last minute.

Pence was chairing the congressional session in his role as vice president at the time.

Trump incited his supporters against his deputy.

On the day of the Capitol storm, the mob cheered chants of “Hang Pence.”

Pence then began publicly distancing himself from Trump.

vet/dpa