Former Vice President Mike Pence's decision not to endorse former President Trump -- his old boss and two-time running mate -- marked the most significant departure to date among former Trump officials who have declined to back his 2024 candidacy.
Ex-Trump administration officials turned critics emphasized the historic significance of a former vice president opting not to back a former running mate, arguing it serves as a dire warning to voters about Trump's fitness for office.
"It's quite possibly the most damning statement coming from the most credible source," said Sarah Matthews, a former Trump White House spokesperson. "Mike Pence had the most access probably to Trump of anyone. And for him to say 'I'm not going to endorse him' is a huge deal."
Pence announced Friday he could not "in good conscience" endorse his two-time running mate, citing a list of policy disagreements and Trump's conduct around the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. He said he would not vote for President Biden, either.
"The conservative movement is coming to a crossroads," Pence said in a statement explaining his decision. "I intend to go forward fighting for the foundational conservative principles our movement has always extolled."
While Pence ran against Trump in the 2024 primary, a former vice president declining to support his old boss and running mate is still a remarkable and unusual development. Pence joined a lengthy list of other former Trump administration officials who have kept their distance from the former president, even as he cements his place atop the Republican Party.
Nikki Haley, who served as Trump's ambassador to the United Nations, has yet to endorse the former president after suspending her own primary campaign earlier this month. She said Trump would have to earn the votes of her supporters, but he has not made much of an appeal to do so.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who as recently as 2020 was working closely with Trump on debate preparations, has also declined to back the former president after ending his own primary campaign.
Former national security adviser John Bolton has been outspoken about his concerns regarding a potential second Trump term, as has former Trump chief of staff John Kelly. Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper has also said he would not support Trump in 2024.
But Pence's decision not to back his old running mate is particularly notable. It is the first time in modern history a former vice president has declined to support the president under which he served.
Pence was an unflinchingly loyal vice president, defending Trump and standing with him through myriad controversies, including the "Access Hollywood" tape, Trump siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the U.S. intelligence community, the fallout of the Charlottesville white nationalist rally and more.
Actually it's widely suspected that Pence's office and his Never Trumper staffers were leakers against Trump and involved in various Deep State ops to bring him down.
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Trump was asked about Pence's comments while voting in Florida's primary Tuesday.
"I couldn't care less," he told reporters. "We need strong people in this country. We don't need weak people."
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Trump aides have largely been dismissive of Pence, who struggled to crack single digits in primary polls, and of Haley, who they have argued relied heavily on independent and Democratic voters to perform well in open primaries.
The warnings from former officials have also yet to put a dent in Trump's polling. Decision Desk HQ data shows Trump leading President Biden by 2 points in Wisconsin, 3 points in Michigan, and 5 points in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona, all of which Biden won in 2020.