Former Vice President Mike Pence sat down with Sean Hannity for an exclusive interview and discussed the Biden administration's "failed" leadership, where he sees the war in Ukraine headed and whether he is considering running for president in 2024.
Pence said when he looks at the state of the country two years into President Biden's term, he sees failed leadership at home and abroad.
He highlighted Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan and record-high inflation as examples of the Biden administration's weakness.
"The American people know that we need change in this country. They know that there are challenging times ahead at home and abroad. But they also know that whether it's the economy, whether it's the world stage, whether it's a crisis at the border, whether it's crime on the streets of our major cities, these are all the natural consequences of the failed leadership of President Biden," he said. "And I think that's why there's change around the corner."
Pence reiterated the Trump administration's posturing of "peace through strength" as a reason why Russia did not invade Ukraine.
"The Trump administration was the only administration in the 21st century where Russia did not even attempt to redraw international lines by force. They did it under the Bush administration when the tanks rolled into Georgia. They did it under the Obama administration when they captured Crimea," he explained.
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"But under our administration, it was peace through strength, historic investments in our national defense, a willingness to allow our military to prosecute our interests, take the fight to our enemies on our terms on their soil. That changed under this administration. And it's emboldened not only Putin but other authoritarian leaders around the world."
The former Indiana governor continued, saying it is "absolutely essential" the U.S. sees its support to Ukraine through because the country itself is involved in a proxy war with Russia.
"We demand our European allies do more than their share because it is their front yard. But I think it's absolutely essential that after a slow start in providing support to the Ukrainian military by the Biden administration, we're now providing that support. But let's give them what they need, the tanks; let's get them the F-16s," he told Hannity.
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Pence said the U.S. should follow the Reagan doctrine and stand by those risking their lives to defy Soviet aggression. He added that he believes Putin is trying to rebuild the Soviet empire and would not stop at Ukraine, but move on to countries like Estonia and Belarus.
"I think it's important that we hold the line here, support the Ukrainians as they make the fight just like that, Reagan doctrine said. But at the end of the day, the real antidote here is what we had during our administration. And that was a commitment not only to our national defense but also an unwavering commitment to allow our military to defend and prosecute our interests in the world wherever they were threatened," he stated.
Hannity asked Pence about his 2024 political aspirations and whether he has given any thought to a presidential run.
"We are thinking about it. Karen and I have made no decision yet, but we're getting a lot of encouragement from around the country," he responded. Pence said he has met with people across the country who tell him they want to return to several of the policies the Trump administration had, and want candidates who stand up for the country's traditional values.
"We're going to reflect on all of those things. We're going to continue to give it prayerful consideration," he said. "We'll make a decision based on what I and my family feel called to do in this moment in the life of the nation."
