Former US Vice President Mike Pence has said that he will not support Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. In an interview with Fox News, Pence said: “No one should be surprised that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year.”
Pence, who himself ran for the GOP nomination and dropped out of the race due to poor results, said Trump's attempt to stay in office was not the only reason he declined to accept the nomination. Among other reasons, he cited rising state debt, an ambiguous attitude toward abortion restrictions, and opposition to the TikTok ban.
Continuation of the material below the video
Pence is the most prominent member of the Republican Party to publicly refuse to endorse his party's nominee. In the past, Trump has drawn criticism for his approach after losing the 2020 election when he publicly pushed for unconstitutional certification of voter results.
Pence ruled out voting for Trump's main rival, President Joe Biden.
Most top Republican politicians supported Trump's candidacy, including the party's Senate President Mitch McConnell. But, the former U.N. Some, such as Ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Mitt Romney, the party's former presidential candidate, have refused to endorse Trump.