Former Vice President Mike Pence defended his support for Ukraine when Tucker Carlson asked him where his concern for the United States lies after complaining about President Joe Biden’s lax efforts to train the Ukrainian military.
Pence’s remarks came on Friday during the Blaze Media Summit, which Carlson hosted, that featured 2024 Republican presidential candidates Pence, Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL).
Lamenting about Joe Biden’s lackadaisical approach in getting Ukraine support from the American military, Pence said, “We promised them 33 Abrams tanks in January, I heard again two weeks ago and Ukraine, they still don’t have them.”
“We’ve been telling them we’ll train their F-16 pilots, but now they’re saying maybe January we’ll let somebody transport some jets,” Pence added.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vice President, I know you’re running for president,” Carlson responded. “You are distressed that the Ukrainians don’t have enough American tanks?”
Carlson then highlighted the declining conditions in America under Biden’s watch.
Carlson continued:
Every city in the United States has become much worse over the past three years. Drive around. There is not one city that’s gotten better in the United States. And it’s visible. Our economy has degraded, the suicide rate has jumped, public filth and disorder and crime have exponentially increased, and yet your concern is that the Ukrainians, a country most people can’t find on a map, who have received tens of billions of U.S. tax dollars, don’t have enough tanks? I think it’s a fair question to ask: Where’s the concern for the United States in that?
“That’s not my concern. Tucker, I’ve heard that routine from you before, but that’s not my concern,” Pence responded. “I’m running for president in the United States because I think this country is in a lot of trouble. I think Joe Biden has weakened America at home and abroad.”
Pence then highlighted what he would fight for if elected president.
Pence said:
I think Joe Biden has weakened America at home and abroad. And as president of the United States, we’re going to restore law and order in our cities. We’re going to restore law and order in our cities, secure our border, get this economy moving again, and we’re going to make sure that we have men and women on our courts at every level who will stand for the right to life and defend all the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution.
“Anybody who says we can’t be the leader of the free world and solve our problems at home has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on Earth. We can do both,” the former vice president concluded. And as President of the United States, we will secure our border, support our military, revive our economy, and stand by our values, and we will also lead the world for freedom under my administration.”
Pence’s comments about America’s declining conditions not being his “concern” quickly made the rounds on social media, with many saying Pence committed “political suicide.”
“Tucker Carlson effectively ends Mike Pence’s presidential ambitions when he asks him to choose between helping America’s failing cities or sending billions in aid to Ukraine,” Kyle Becker tweeted. “It’s over, Pence. Go home.”
“Stick a fork in Pence. He’s done,” one user tweeted.
“It’s impossible to have given a worse answer than that,” Blaze contributor T.J. Moe tweeted.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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