Pence uses NC speech to defend Trump on ‘unprecedented’ charges, attack him over Jan. 6

Former Vice President Mike Pence took the stage at the North Carolina Republican convention to loud applause from the crowd, welcoming a candidate who has risked losing GOP support by denouncing his former boss.

Pence pitched himself as a candidate who would bring the country back to normalcy, saying that under Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, the country is “barely recognizable.”

“This country is in a lot of trouble. President Joe Biden and the radical left have weakened America at home and abroad,” he said, bringing up inflation, security at the southern border and the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

As the convention prepares to hear from former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening, Pence responded to Trump’s indictment, saying it undermined confidence in the federal justice system. He encouraged people to hear out Trump’s defense and listen to the facts in the coming weeks.

A federal indictment revealed Friday charges Trump with 37 felony counts related to keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence. His highly anticipated Greensboro speech would be one of his first public addresses following the indictment.

“We gather here in North Carolina after a very sad day for the country,” Pence said. “A former president of the United States facing an unprecedented indictment by the Justice Department run by the current president of the United States, a potential political opponent.”

Pence on Jan. 6, abortion

But his support for Trump wavered as Pence addressed his actions during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. When a mob of Trump supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol in 2021 after Trump lost reelection, Pence broke from Trump and refused demands not to certify the 2020 election results.

In his role as vice president, he had no right to overturn the election, Pence said. He chose the U.S. Constitution and always will, he said, and Trump was wrong both then and now.

“Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States,” Pence said to a quiet room.

Pence praised the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that had protected the right to an abortion federally. He disavowed claims that the court’s decision cost Republicans the 2022 midterm elections in the name of restoring “the sanctity of life.”

Echoing some of the sentiments of Friday night’s convention speaker, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the former vice president said children are “being indoctrinated into radical ideologies.” He also called for North Carolina military base Fort Liberty to be renamed Fort Bragg, which DeSantis similarly did the night before.

Pence also leaned into his faith as a Christian throughout his speech, vowing to protect religious freedom in schools.

Pence formally announced his candidacy for president on Wednesday on his 64th birthday with a firm denunciation of his former boss Trump, with whom he ran with as vice president in 2016 and 2020.

Curiosity, resistance from NC GOP delegates

People at Pence’s luncheon speech, which was full, said they were interested to hear how the former vice president would characterize his campaign.

Prior to Pence taking the stage, John Aneralla, former Huntersville mayor, said he was “curious” to hear Pence “discuss why he is running in light of some of the events that have recently occurred,” and how “he’s going to distinguish himself, his former running mate, and also the other candidates.”

Asked if he thought Pence had a chance at beating Trump and DeSantis, considering current polls showing him trailing, Aneralla said that a lot could happen over the next few months and that in elections, things can change.

Sen. Ralph Hise of Mitchell County said of the presidential candidates prior to the start of the convention that he “really wanted to listen and focus on what they plan to bring this time to North Carolina and what we can look for as a nation.”

This year’s high-profile speakers signal the state’s importance, Hise said.

“North Carolina is in play. There’s no path for the Republican at least to the White House that doesn’t go through North Carolina, and I think they all recognize it’s important and understand if they want to be the player they have to be here.”

Hise said, at this point, he does not have a preference of candidates, but that at least “with Pence and Trump, I’ve supported both historically and I’ve been very much behind them, but we’re looking to see what they’re going to deliver for the future.”

Meanwhile, he said he had been “very impressed” with what DeSantis had accomplished in Florida.

When Toyce Southern initially registered for the First in Freedom luncheon, she didn’t know who was going to speak. After finding out Pence was the keynote speaker, she said she was not looking forward to hearing from him.

“He’s too establishment,” Southern said. “I think they would own him when he got to Washington, D.C.”

The Forsyth County delegate also listened to DeSantis’ speech, calling it an “excellent stump speech.” But the speaker she was looking forward most this weekend was still to come.

“Everyone wants to hear from Trump,” she said.