Former Vice President Mike Pence didn't shy away from taking shots at his former running mate on Friday. The presidential candidate hit former President Donald Trump on his stances on assistance in Ukraine, Social Security and Medicare reform, and abortion during an event in Georgia.
At conservative radio host Erick Erickson's The Gathering in Georgia, Pence called out Trump's position on reforming Social Security and Medicare, which face the risk of insolvency in the coming decades.
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"My former running mate's policy is identical to [President] Joe Biden's. They won't even talk about it," he claimed.
"There's other people that will be on that debate stage next Wednesday night that have said literally that reforming government spending is somebody else's problem. Some other presidents problem," he continued.
Pence also criticized Trump and other 2024 GOP candidates for "wanting to pull back from American leadership, whether it be in Eastern Europe or confronting Iran or the balance on the national debt."
"I'm going to be committed to growth into fiscal responsibility," he told Erickson.
Assisting Ukraine in its war against Russia has become a topic of disagreement within the Republican Party, and as Pence points out, several 2024 candidates have been hesitant to commit to continue providing financial aid and military supplies to the country. "We've given away so much equipment," Trump said at a May CNN town hall. "We don't have ammunition for ourselves."
However, Trump has also pledged to end the war between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours of reentering the White House if elected. Trump also claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin would never have invaded the country if he had still been president.
Americans are relatively split on supporting Ukraine further, with over half, 55%, saying Congress shouldn't authorize additional Ukraine financial aid, per a recent CNN poll. Additionally, 51% believe the United States has done enough for Ukraine, and 48% say it hasn't done enough. Americans have trended toward supporting less assistance to Ukraine as the war continues.
On abortion, Pence noted, "I see people in the field, including my former running mate, that are shying away from the cause of life, trying to relegate it only to a state issue."
The former president has notably not committed to signing a federal ban on abortion if elected in 2024. Many of his primary competitors have at least committed to top anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America's minimum standard of a 15-week ban. Trump has remained vague when questioned on abortion policy in March, saying, “We’re looking at a lot of different things."
In May, he still avoided specifics, saying now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, "We're in a position to make a really great deal, and a deal that people want."
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But after pressure from SBA Pro-Life America and other anti-abortion advocates, Trump did cede in June that there is a “vital role” for the federal government when it comes to opposing abortion.
Trump's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.