Ammon News - Former vice president Mike Pence said Friday that he will not endorse Donald Trump, the president with whom he served, just days after Trump won enough delegates to secure the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination.

Pence served under Trump but has been critical of the former president after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol in which Pence was targeted by a mob of pro-Trump supporters who wanted to stop certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Withholding his endorsement in a remarkable break with tradition, Pence rebuked his former boss in strong terms Friday, saying Trump’s agenda doesn’t align with his view of conservatism.

“Donald Trump is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years, and that is why I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign,” Pence told Fox News host Martha MacCallum.

The former vice president ran against Trump in the 2024 Republican primary but struggled to find traction in the race. He suspended his campaign in October — before votes were cast — when he was polling in the low single digits.

His refusal to endorse Trump stands out as many other former intraparty rivals and critics have consolidated behind the former president. This month, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) endorsed Trump, a striking turnaround after blaming him for the Capitol attack three years ago.

Pence told Fox News that he will keep his November vote private but emphasized that he will not vote for Trump’s Democratic opponent, President Biden.

Washington Post