Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence says voters should expect to see the same, more combative candidate at the next GOP debate as he urged his former running-mate-turned-rival Donald Trump to join his competitors on stage next time around.
"You know, elections are about choices and I welcomed the opportunity last night to draw a contrast with other candidates on the stage who I think are walking away from the conservative agenda that has defined our movement for 50 years and holds the keys for restoring American leadership in the world and American prosperity and security at home," Pence said in an interview from Milwaukee a day after the first Republican presidential primary debate.
With his campaign still mired in single digits and facing a skeptical GOP base, Pence delivered a surprisingly pointed performance Wednesday night. He launched repeated broadsides against his non-Trump rivals and tangled, in particular, with 38-year-old tech entrepreneur and political novice Vivek Ramaswamy.
"Now is not the time for on-the-job training," Pence said. "We don't need to bring in a rookie."
At one point, Pence was reprimanded by the Fox News moderators for going after his allotted time.
The debate came as Pence and his campaign have taken a more aggressive posture toward Trump following a pair of indictments related to the former president's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Pence spent four years as Trump's most loyal defender before breaking with him over those efforts and has said: "Anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States."
Still, Pence was among all but two of the candidates who clearly raised his hand when asked Wednesday night whether they would support Trump, the race's prohibitive front-runner, if he is the nominee and convicted on criminal charges.
At the same time, he rebuffed Ramaswamy's efforts to get him to commit to a possible pardon if he is elected, saying that a pardon "usually follows a finding of guilt and contrition by the individual that's been convicted." Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong and has continued to repeat his election lies.
Pence and his team have long tried to make the case that the candidate is "well-known but not known well" by Republican voters. They believe he can win over skeptics by introducing them to his decades-long record as a conservative former member of Congress and Indiana governor before he signed onto the Trump-Pence ticket.
"What I wanted people to understand, and I say it with great humility, is that I am the most qualified, the most tested, the most proven, conservative leader vying for the Republican nomination," he said. Pence said his strategy Wednesday "was just to be myself."
"Look, I understand most people know me as vice president. And I took that role very seriously. You take a half step back, you're prepared, you're of service. I thought the vice president should never be the story and I took that posture. But people that have known me over the years know that I know how to fight for what I believe in," he said.
Pence, during the debate, also slammed candidates like Ramaswamy and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who argued the U.S. should not be providing additional support for Ukraine amid Russia's continued invasion.
When former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley argued that it was unlikely Republicans could realistically pass a national abortion ban, Pence, an evangelical Christian who has made his opposition to abortion rights a central plank of his campaign, blasted her call for consensus as "opposite of leadership."
"Now is not the time for on-the-job training. And with all due respect to my friend from Ohio and others in the field, I wanted people looking on to know that I'll be ready Day One should I become president of the United States," he said.
Pence was also the subject of one of the questions when candidates were asked whether they believed he had done the right thing by rebuffing Trump's efforts to stop him from certifying Joe Biden's presidential election victory on Jan. 6, 2021. All but Ramaswamy said he had.
Pence said he hoped Trump, who has said he will skip all the Republican primary debates, citing his commanding lead, will change his mind and join the other candidates on stage next month when they meet again in California.
"I believe that this country's in a lot of trouble and every man and woman who aspires to carry the banner of the Republican Party owes it to the American people to get on that stage to answer the tough questions and to articulate their vision for the future of the country and let the voters decide," he said.
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
Twenty-seven year Â鶹ӰÊÓ reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
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The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
A body has been found in the vicinity where a woman went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Donald Trump returned to North Carolina on Saturday, stumping in the southern battleground state with direct appeals to women, claiming he would be a better champion for them than U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who is vying to become the first female president.
Sheba, a 50-year-old seal at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in southwest England, has far surpassed the average lifespan for seals and could be the oldest in captivity in the world.
The more Chelsea Walsh talked to the eccentric fellow American who seemed to pop up in every square and cobblestone street of Ukraine's capital, the more she got creeped out.
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
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Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says close to 45,000 Canadians are in Lebanon, months after warning there is no guarantee Ottawa can evacuate them if the situation deteriorates further.
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The owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant said Friday that it plans to restart the reactor under a 20-year agreement that calls for tech giant Microsoft to buy the power to supply its data centers with carbon-free energy.
Lebanese authorities on Thursday banned walkie-talkies and pagers from being taken on flights from Beirut airport, the National News Agency reported, after thousands of such devices exploded during a deadly attack on Hezbollah this week.
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The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
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A heritage home in Vancouver suffered "extensive damage" in a fire that broke out late Saturday morning, according to firefighters.
Toronto police are investigating a shooting in Scarborough that left one person injured Saturday night.
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The Edmonton Police Service is looking for a person of interest in connection with a suspicious fire that destroyed a multi-unit building and damaged several townhomes earlier this week.
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The Cambridge Professional Fire Fighters’ Association held their annual Muscular Dystrophy Boot Drive on Saturday.
Protests were held in front of Kitchener City Hall on Friday, both for and against LGBTQ2S+ inclusive education and queer rights in schools.
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The 75-year-old building, formerly the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce building, was relocated to the Parks Canada compound on the edge of the townsite.
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Motors were roaring, and tires were spinning as Saskatoon's biggest names in motocross gathered together for the 50-year anniversary of the club's founding on Saturday.
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The St. Thomas police is asking the public for help locating a missing man.
The Barrie Skateboard Association (BSA) hosted a unique competition at the City's Skate Park on Saturday to celebrate its 25th anniversary, which showcased the park's importance and the growth of skateboarding in the region.
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The Amherstburg Freedom Museum is celebrating a year of festivities in anticipation of its 50th anniversary in 2025.
The St. Clair College golf teams were successful at the Niagara Knights Invitational tournament on Friday.
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A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.
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The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
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Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.
Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.
The Lethbridge Hurricanes kicked off the 2024-25 season on a winning note Friday night, defeating the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-1 in a game played at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
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Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cow-cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.
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