By Hank Russell
The Long Island Association (LIA) hosted former Vice President Mike Pence as part of its Fall Luncheon on October 29 at the Crest Hollow Country Club in Woodbury. LIA President/CEO Matt Cohen asked Pence about his political career — mostly his time as vice president during the Donald Trump administration — and who we would endorse for president this year.
Pence said he became a Republican and a conservative during the “Reagan revolution” of the 1980s “and I never looked back.” He said that “my faith and my convictions guided my career and always will.”
The conversation turned to his time as vice president under Donald Trump. Cohen asked Pence about what Trump did when the coronavirus outbreak occurred. He said Trump shut down travel to China, “which saved hundreds of thousands of American lives. … When he asked me to be part of the Coronavirus Task Force, I replied the same way I always did the last four years: … ‘I’m here to serve.’”
Under Trump, Pence said, Operation Warp Speed was launched. Companies pivoted their manufacturing capabilities to create masks, ventilators and soaps. When Trump asked if anything happened with Operation Warp Speed, Pence told him, “‘Nobody said no.’”
When asked about the January 6, 2021 insurrection — Cohen brought up the fact that Pence and his and his family’s live “were in danger” — Pence replied, “I was not afraid, but I was angry.” As for the election, he said, “We did our part to see through the peaceful transfer of power.” He also praised the D.C. police for their heroism in quelling the riots at the Capitol Building.
Cohen later asked how his relationship with Trump was after January 6. After a long pause, Pence said, “You may not know this, but we’re a little bit different,” to the laughter of the crowd. He also pointed out that the relationship between them was very cordial. “We never had one cross word with each other in four-and-a-half years.”
He noted that Trump denounced the acts of violence of that day, ensured a peaceful transfer of power.”
The following day, he and Trump sat together for a meeting that lasted 90 minutes. “We aired things out,” he said. “This may come as a surprise, but we parted very amicably. He thanked me and my family by name for our service for the last four years. And I was grateful for that.”
Pence said he was “incredibly proud” of what he and Trump accomplished. “We rebuilt our military, we revived our economy, we secured our borders, we unleashed American energy. … I will always be grateful for the privilege he gave me to be vice president and I will always be proud of the record we created for the American people.”
What later happened during Trump’s presidency, Pence said, is that Trump had been “misinformed” and was listening to “outside” people. When Pence ran for president this year, he noticed the shift within the GOP. “I was wondering if our party was going to follow the mainstream, conservative issues or if we were going to follow the siren song of populism instead of conservative principles. I think that’s a debate that will go forward.”
Cohen asked if Pence would endorse Trump or Kamala Harris for president. Citing his conservative values, he said he “could never support” Harris or her running mate, Tim Walz. “They represent a philosophy of government that I could never support.” He said they support eliminating tax cuts, including the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and raising the corporate tax rate on businesses and companies.
However, Pence said he is “staying out” of making any endorsements. He said he has “concerns” about the direction the Republican party is heading. “There are voices that are willing to walk away from our allies, that are prepared to ignore the national debt, that are marginalizing the sanctity of life. … Many Americans are focused on who they’re voting for; I’m focused on what we’re voting for.”