Mike Pence on SCOTUS rulings, Ukraine and China
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS, KYMA/KECY) - Former Vice President and 2024 GOP Presidential Candidate Mike Pence spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday to discuss the Supreme Court ruling in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis, saying that, "I believe in the freedom of religion and the freedom conscience of every, every American. In this case, I think the Supreme Court drew a clear line and said yes to religious liberty."
During the interview, Pence also touched on the Supreme Court's decision Thursday on Affirmative Action. He said that, "affirmative action was a temporary solution." When asked if he believed there is racial inequality in the American education system he said, "I really don't believe there is."
"I mean...there may have been a time when affirmative action was necessary simply to open the doors of all of our schools and universities. But I think that time has passed and we'll continue to move forward as a colorblind society, which is really the aspiration. I believe that of every American," Pence explained.
Also, Brennan and Pence discussed the Supreme Court's ruling on student loan relief, with Pence saying, "The majority of people that would've benefited from this student loan forgiveness are people with multiple graduate degrees. So you're gonna say to working Americans, to truck drivers, to people working in the trades, we're gonna take your taxes and pay down a part of the student debt, of doctors and lawyers and PhDs. It just...nothing could be further than the truth. This was not about the middle class."
Pence on Ukraine and Afghanistan
When the topic of Ukraine came up during the interview, Pence shared his thoughts on the situation in Ukraine.
"I'm someone that believes that it's absolutely essential that the United States continue to provide military support to the Ukrainian military to push back on Russian aggression, because if Russia were able to overrun Ukraine, I think it would not. It would not be long before Vladimir Putin ordered his troops across the border that under NATO, we would be required to send men and women in uniform. It is not in our interest to send American forces into Ukraine and I would never support it. And as I met with President Zelenskyy, he made it clear that he's not looking for that. And I have reason to believe...that when NATO meets in a few weeks...that President Zelenskyy would be open to a conditional invitation to membership in NATO, namely saying that Ukraine will be a member of NATO once the war is won. I mean, I really do believe it's essential that that America continue to lead, that our allies provide Ukraine with the support they need," Pence remarked.
When asked if the Trump administration bears some responsibility for the handling of Afghanistan, Pence said this:
"I was in the room when President Trump told the leader of the Taliban said, 'Look, you're gonna have to cooperate with the Afghan government. You don't Harbor terrorists and you don't harm any American soldiers.' We went 18 months without a single American casualty to the day at that Cobble Airport that we lost 13 brave American service members that like the blame for what happened here, falls squarely on the current commander-in-chief and under our administration."
Pence on China
Before the interview concluded, Brennan asked Pence if he agreed with President Joe Biden calling Xi Ping a dictator, as well as discussing Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions.
"I think it's a statement of fact...but look, I also wanna say with regard to Ukraine, cause a lot of people will say, 'Well, China's the real issue.' There's no more effective way to send a deafening message to communist China, to check their a and military ambitions in the Asia Pacific than by giving Ukraine what they need to repel the Russian invasion. I know China's watching...they forged this UN unlimited partnership with Russia. But I've met President Xi. I've also met President Putin...I guarantee you, President Xi is watching what's happened in Ukraine very carefully. We give the Ukrainians much more quickly than Joe Biden's doing now. We give them what they need to win this fight to repel the Russian invasion. I think it'll lay a strong foundation for restraining the military aggression and ambitions of China in the Asia Pacific. Like almost nothing else," Pence shared.
Brennan further asked if Pence, should he be president, would commit U.S. troops to defend Taiwan against a Chinese invation, Pence said this:
"I would say...that I'm somebody that believes that it's no advantage to say what you would or wouldn't do. I thought one of the catastrophic errors that President Biden made before the Russian invasion in Ukraine was he signaled that if it was just a small invasion, that maybe we wouldn't send troops or we wouldn't respond...We never say what you'll never do. The United States of America should continue to be providing to Taiwan, with the military means to defend themselves. What we want is a policy of deterrence."
