Former Vice President Mike Pence confirmed Thursday that he will sign a pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee for president in 2024, in order to appear in the first GOP debate on Aug. 23.
Pence, who is one of eight Republican candidates who have reached the donor and polling thresholds to qualify for the debate, said he believed he could support the eventual nominee, even as his former boss, former President Donald Trump, leads in the polls.
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‘"I’m more than happy to meet the criteria," Pence told Fox News. "I’m confident I’ll be able to support the Republican nominee, especially if it’s me."
Pence avoided stating that he would support Trump, instead emphasizing his belief that the party would move on from its previous commander in chief.
"I am confident that Republican primary voters know that not only do we need new leadership in the White House, but we need new leadership in the Republican Party," Pence said.
When pushed further on what he would do if Trump does secure the party's nomination next year, Pence again dodged answering directly but touted the successes of the Trump administration while defending his decision on Jan. 6, 2021, to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Trump and Pence have been at odds since Jan. 6 over the role of the vice president in certifying the results, including whether he had the power to overturn the election results.
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"I’m very proud of the record of the Trump administration," Pence said. "But the president and I took a different path in the end, and sadly in the last two and a half years, the former president has continued to maintain that I had the right to overturn the election. I had no right to overturn the election. If the American people hear us out, they know that we kept our oath to the Constitution. I’m confident more and more Americans every day are understanding the stand that we took and appreciating our commitment to keep the oath that we made to them and to almighty God."
Pence is the latest candidate to qualify for the debates, and joins Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) in qualifying for the debates. Christie and Trump have not signed the pledge so far, but Trump is expected to reach a decision on whether he will participate in the pledge next week.