First on Fox: Pence takes shot at Trump in campaign kick-off video, invokes conservative icon

DES MOINES, IOWA – EXCLUSIVE – Former Vice President Mike Pence takes purpose astatine President Biden and the Democrats, takes a subtle jab astatine his one-time moving mate – former President Donald Trump –  and evokes the precocious President Ronald Reagan, arsenic helium announced his 2024 Republican statesmanlike run successful a motorboat video.

"President Joe Biden and the extremist near person weakened America astatine location and abroad," Pence argues successful his video, which was shared archetypal with Fox News connected Wednesday morning.

The video’s merchandise came hours earlier the former vice president is expected to formally state his candidacy successful Iowa, the authorities whose caucuses pb disconnected the GOP statesmanlike nominating calendar.

"The American imagination is being crushed nether runaway inflation. Wages are dropping. Recession is looming. Our confederate borderline is nether siege and the enemies of state are connected the march astir the world. And worse still, timeless American values are nether battle arsenic ne'er before," Pence charged.

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But portraying an optimistic imaginativeness for the future, Pence says "we tin crook this state around. But antithetic times telephone for antithetic leadership. Today, our enactment and our state request a person that volition appeal, arsenic Lincoln said, to the amended angels of our nature."

"I person agelong believed to whom overmuch is given, overmuch volition beryllium required. My household and I person been blessed beyond measurement with opportunities to service this federation and it would beryllium casual to enactment connected the sidelines. But that’s present however I was raised," Pence emphasized successful his video earlier announcing that "that’s wherefore today, earlier God and my family, I’m announcing I’m moving for President of the United States."

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Pence is joining a increasing tract of Republican White House contenders that’s presently dominated by Trump – his one-time boss. Pence is the archetypal moving mate successful 8 decades to tally against his erstwhile boss, since Vice President John Nance Garner unsuccessfully challenged President Franklin Roosevelt successful the 1940 election.

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's Roast and Ride, Saturday, June 3, 2023, successful Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Pence enters the 2024 contention polling the mid-single digits, acold down Trump and besides importantly trailing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who trails Trump by double-digits but is firmly successful 2nd place, up of the erstwhile vice president and the remainder of the tract of existent and apt candidates.

Pence was Indiana politician erstwhile Trump named him his moving mate successful 2016. For 4 years, Pence served arsenic the loyal vice president to Trump.

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However, everything changed connected Jan. 6, 2021, arsenic right-wing extremists — including immoderate chanting "hang Mike Pence" — stormed the U.S. Capitol aiming to upend legislature certification of President Biden’s Electoral College triumph that was overseen by Pence.

In the much than 2 years since the extremity of the Trump administration, the erstwhile president and vice president person drifted farther apart. Pence has rebuked his erstwhile boss, calling him retired by sanction portion discussing Trump's assertion that Pence could person overturned the results of the 2020 statesmanlike election.

Former US President Donald Trump arrives to conscionable with section Republican leaders astatine the Machine Shed edifice successful Urbandale, Iowa, US, connected Thursday, June 1, 2023. Trump returned to the authorities connected Wednesday to statesman a bid of appearances and interviews, including a Fox News municipality hallway with Sean Hannity that volition beryllium broadcast today. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

When asked successful caller months astir Trump, Pence has reiterated that "I deliberation that we’ll person amended choices successful 2024." And successful his stump speeches, helium touts the Trump-Pence administration’s argumentation successes but contrasts himself with the arguable erstwhile president successful presumption of code and tenor.

"We tin crook this state around. But antithetic times telephone for antithetic leadership. Today, our enactment and our state request a person that volition appeal, arsenic Lincoln said, to the amended angels of our nature," Pence said successful his video, successful an evident swipe astatine Trump.

Looking ahead, Pence emphasized that "we tin bring this state back. We tin support our federation and unafraid our border. We tin revive our system and enactment our federation backmost connected a way to a balanced budget, support our liberties and springiness America a caller opening for life."

He besides doubly successful his video evoked Reagan, who remains a fable for conservatives. 

"President Reagan described america arsenic a shining metropolis connected a hill. And supra all, helium called connected Americans to renew optimism and judge successful themselves again – to judge successful each other," the erstwhile vice president said. "Every clip our federation has produced enactment that has called connected our state to bash hard things, the American radical person ever risen to the situation – and we volition again. We conscionable request authorities arsenic bully arsenic our radical to bash it."

Former Vice President Mike Pence, sporting a motorcycle vest, prepares to thrust successful Sen. Joni Ernst's yearly Roast and Ride, connected June 3, 2023, successful Des Moines, Iowa (Fox News )

And Pence, who’s agelong been a champion for societal conservatives and who’s expected to heavy tribunal Iowa’s influential evangelical voters, stressed "I judge successful the American radical and I person religion – God is not done with America yet. And unneurotic we tin bring this state backmost and the champion days for the top federation connected world are yet to come. God bless you and God bless the United States of America." 

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The lad of Indiana besides spotlighted his roots and his agelong vocation successful nationalist service, saying the "land of the escaped – location of the brave. The United States of America. As a lad of the heartland, grandson of an Irish immigrant, those aren’t conscionable words. My household has lived the American dream. I had the large grant to service successful Congress, arsenic governor, and arsenic your vice president. And I’ll ever beryllium arrogant of the advancement we made unneurotic for a stronger, much prosperous America."