Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke Wednesday at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill as protests occurred outside the student union before the event. The event was titled, “Saving America From the Woke Left” and was organized by the Young America’s Foundation.
The former vice president touted his Christian faith throughout the speech and his support for bans on abortion. Last month, North Carolina House bill 533, known as the Human Life Protection Act of 2023 was introduced by the North Carolina General Assembly which would restrict abortions except when the life of the mother is in danger.
When asked about if he would support former President Donald Trump for a second term as President, Pence suggested he would support a different Republican candidate. Right now, five Republican candidates, including Trump have announced their candidacy in the 2024 race.
“It’s a free country, the former president has every right to seek office again. But, there might be somebody out there that I support more,” said Pence. “Different times call for different leadership.”
Pence hinted at a potential 2024 presidential run while responding to a student during a question and answer session.
“There’s a reason we have these primaries. … I expect Republican primary voters are going to sort that out and I look forward to being a part of that, some way, shape, or form,” said Pence. “I don’t have anything to announce tonight, but I’ll keep you posted.”
Prior to serving as Vice President during the Trump Administration, Pence was the fiftieth Governor of Indiana and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Since leaving office, Pence has joined the Young America’s Foundation as a Ronald Reagan Scholar, where he visits different campuses as part of a lecture program on behalf of the foundation.