Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized former President Donald Trump on Monday for adopting the stance that abortion policy should be left to individual states and for refraining from expressing a clear position on whether the federal government should enforce a nationwide ban after a specific gestational period.
In a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pence, who served as Trump's running mate in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, characterized Trump's recent stance on abortion as a "slap in the face" to the millions of pro-life Americans who voted for him in 2016 and 2020.
Pence wrote: "The American people elect presidents, senators and congressmen, and a majority of Americans long to see minimum national protections for the unborn in federal law. But today, too many Republican politicians are all too ready to wash their hands of the battle for life.
"Republicans win on life when we speak the truth boldly and stand on the principle that we all know to be true — human life begins at conception and should be defended from womb to tomb. However much our Republican nominee or other candidates seek to marginalize the cause of life, I know pro-life Americans will never relent until we see the sanctity of life restored to the center of American law in every state in this country."
Pence, who campaigned for the presidency in 2024 with a staunchly anti-abortion rights agenda, has consistently criticized Trump for displaying ambiguity in his stance on abortion in the past.
He wrote on X: "By nominating and standing by the confirmation of conservative justices, the Trump-Pence Administration helped send Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs and gave the pro-life movement the opportunity to compassionately support women and unborn children. In the landmark Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court returned the question of abortion to the states and the American people."
Recently, Pence made it known that he would not be endorsing Trump's candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, saying the former president was deviating from conservative ideals, including "a dedication to the sanctity of life."
Pence added that Trump's endeavors to challenge the outcome of the 2020 presidential election as a significant factor influencing his decision to withhold support.
In a video statement released on Monday, Trump, after evading questions about his stance on abortion for several months, rebuffed calls to endorse a nationwide ban on abortion, saying he believes it should be a matter for individual states to decide.
