Former Vice President Mike Pence announced Wednesday morning he is running for president to “bring this country back.”
Pence's decision, explained in a three-minute video, comes after he filed to run with the Federal Election Commission on Monday. He will kick off his campaign with a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, Wednesday afternoon.
“Today, our country’s in a lot of trouble. President Joe Biden and the radical left have weakened America at home and abroad,” Pence says in the video. “The American dream is being crushed under runaway inflation. Wages are dropping. Recession is looming. Our Southern border is under siege and the enemies of freedom are on the march around the world. And worse still, timeless American values are under attack. We’re better than this.”
The Republican Party and America need a leader to appeal “to the better angels of our nature,” he said, referencing Lincoln.
“I have long believed, to whom much is given, much will be required,” he continued. “My family and I have been blessed beyond measure with opportunities to serve this nation, and it’d be easy to stay on the sidelines. But that’s not how I was raised. That’s why today, before God and my family, I’m announcing I’m running for president of the United States.”
I believe in the American people, and I have faith God is not done with America yet. Together, we can bring this Country back, and the best days for the Greatest Nation on Earth are yet to come! 🇺🇸 #Pence2024 pic.twitter.com/A8EkqgCDAm
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) June 7, 2023
Noticeably absent from the video are any images of his former boss, Donald Trump, or mention of him.
According to RealClearPolitics's average of national polling, Pence is at 3.8 percent, trailing former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and even former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley.
Editor's note: This is a breaking news post and may be updated.