‘How Could He Possibly Support Him?’ Blitzer Baffled By Pence Saying Trump Is Unfit For Office While Also Blindly Pledging To Back Nominee
An incredulous Wolf Blitzer asked Mike Pence’s former chief of staff how the former vice president could say Donald Trump is unfit to serve as president again while also pledging to support the eventual Republican presidential nominee – even if it’s Trump.
Marc Short appeared on Tuesday’s installment of The Situation Room, where Blitzer noted that Pence has signed the Republican National Committee’s loyalty pledge as a condition for participating in the primary debates. The host then played a snippet of an interview Pence gave on CNN on Sunday.
“The American people deserve to know that President Trump asked me to put him over my oath to the Constitution,” the presidential contender said of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election. “But I kept my oath, and I always will. And I’m running for president in part because I think anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.”
“So, how does he justify a loyalty pledge to support the Republican presidential nominee?” Blitzer queried. “And by all accounts, Trump is way, way ahead.”
“Well, I think throughout Mike Pence’s professional career, he’s been a Republican, unlike Donald Trump,” Short replied. “And so I think that he’s always been loyal to the Republican Party. I think that he’s acknowledging he’ll sign that pledge. But I think it’s important to understand, he’s running for president against Donald Trump because he thinks he would be a better presidential candidate and a better president of the United States.”
The answer was unsatisfactory to Blitzer.
“But he said, and I’m quoting him now, “‘[A]nyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States,'” Blitzer observed. “And he says Trump keeps putting himself over the Constitution.”
“It’s partly why he’s running for president as well as–” Short said, before the host interrupted.
“How could he possibly support him if he’s the nominee?” Blitzer shot back.
“Donald Trump has walked away from so many of the conservative policies that are part of the legacy – whether that’s on life or spending on foreign policy, Wolf,” Short responded.
Trump infamously claimed Pence had the power to overturn the 2020 presidential election and criticized his veep when he refused to do it. As a result, a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol where the election was being certified. Some of the rioters chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!”
Trump was arraigned in federal court last week for his attempts to overturn the election.
Watch above via CNN.
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