Former Vice President Mike Pence reiterated his call on Republicans to resist what he called the “siren song of populism” during the 2024 presidential race, signaling that it will be his theme throughout his rumored run.

Pence issued his plea when speaking during Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s annual “Roast and Ride” fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I believe we have to resist the politics of personality and the siren song of populism unmoored to timeless conservative principles, and we need to stand firm on the conservative agenda of life and liberty and a commitment to freedom that has always led us to victory,” Pence told the crowd at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Pence previously issued warnings about populism, such as in 2022 when he said that conservatives should not be “led astray by unprincipled populism.”

“Our movement cannot forsake the foundational commitment that we have to security, to limited government, to liberty, and to life. But nor can we allow our movement to be led astray by the siren song of unprincipled populism that’s unmoored from our oldest traditions and most cherished values,” he said.

“There’s a healthy debate going on within our movement today,” he added. “Some in our movement long for a simple return to traditional conservative agenda of the Reagan era. Others say our movement should be swept along by a new and energetic sense of populism.”

Vice President Mike Pence presides over a joint session of Congress on January 06, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Saul Loeb – Pool/Getty Images)

Pence has been hammering this message for months. Repeating it again in Iowa the weekend before he launches his presidential campaign signals this will be a major theme of his White House bid. As Breitbart News reported, the former vice president will likely be announcing his 2024 presidential bid this coming week while in Iowa, so his comments about populism were likely directed at his former boss, President Donald Trump, who currently leads the pack of challengers by a wide margin:

Former Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican, will announce he is running for president in 2024 at a rally-style event in Des Moines, Iowa, next Wednesday, a source familiar with Pence’s plans told Breitbart News.

Pence, himself, in a recent mid-April interview with Breitbart News in his home state of Indiana at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) annual gathering in Indianapolis, said that he was “weeks, not months,” away from a 2024 decision. That has proven true, as next Wednesday is less than eight weeks after that interview.

During his speech in Iowa, Pence also called on Republicans to offer a positive vision “grounded in conservative principles” while also having the courage to “speak hard truths.”

Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.