A warning to Trump’s running mate

In a move that really didn’t surprise some Republicans and Democrats, former US vice president Mike Pence has declared that he cannot endorse the candidacy of former US president Donald Trump who is seeking another run at the White House.

On air, Pence cited developing differences between him and his former running mate.

“Donald Trump is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years. That’s why I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign,” Pence told Fox News.

“As I have watched his candidacy unfold, I’ve seen him walking away from our commitment to confronting the national debt. I’ve seen him starting to shy away from a commitment to the sanctity of human life. And this last week, his reversal on getting tough on China and supporting our administration’s efforts to force a sale of ByteDance’s TikTok,” he added.

To be clear, Pence didn’t categorically say people shouldn’t vote for Trump and even hinted that he may still vote for Trump even as he refuses to endorse him --just because he is a member of the Republican Party.

But the damage has been done. This move by Pence isn’t a good reflection of Trump. Because if there is anyone who should be endorsing Trump it ought to be Pence. It ought to be someone who has worked very closely with him and someone who agreed to run as his vice president twice already.

This isn’t really unlike when a former employer vouches for your work ethic to a company that you are applying to work with.

Are Pence’s reasons for not endorsing Trump just as recent as he claims, or are there reasons he really can’t say publicly? Could they involve what he saw of how Trump actually was as president of the US and supposed leader of the free world?

Might Trump’s blasting him for not overturning the results of the 2016 elections --something Pence could not really do and something Trump continues to lie about-- also have something to do with his actions now?

How Pence ended up should be a warning to whoever will end up as Trump’s running mate in the coming US presidential elections.