Mike Pence Tells Republican Donors There’s ‘No Room For Putin Apologists’ in GOP, But He Backed Putin in 2016 [VIDEO]

Former Vice President Mike Pence told some of the Republican Party’s top donors on Friday night that the party cannot offer any support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, drawing a contrast with Donald Trump, who called Putin “smart” and “savvy” during an interview last week. Trump has been criticized by some members of his own party for those comments. But in an address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last weekend, even after Putin’s invasion of Ukraine had begun, Trump reiterated his praise for Putin and disparaged U.S. leadership. he told attendees at a private reception at CPAC that they would be “very happy,” in response to a question about a 2024 run. Trump also told the crowd that he knew who they “don’t want as your V.P.”

Pence is working overtime to differentiate himself from Trump about a week after those remarks to distance himself further as talk of his own run in 2024 grows louder. “There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin,” Pence said to the GOP donors. “There is only room for champions of freedom.” However, Pence is on the record as supporting Putin during the 2016 presidential campaign in an interview while defending Trump’s praise of the Russian leader over current sitting President Barack Obama.

In an astonishing look back at one of those moments in history where more people simply should’ve been paying attention to what Hillary Clinton was saying, rather than the smokescreen created by Trump’s team to cover up the truth, both Pence and Trump push the same narratives still being used by the pro-Putin members of the GOP.

Mike Pence at an RNC fundraising event: "There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin."

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 5, 2022

In this segment from the TODAY Show from September 9, 2016, Hillary Clinton chastises then-candidate Trump for his open praise of Putin. Pence then defends Trump, echoing his sentiments that President Obama was weaker than the Russian dictator.

It’s just another typical opportunistic flip for Pence, who’s clearly trying to remove the Trump stain from his CV. Sorry, Mike, we literally have the receipts.

How it started How it’s going

The Pence-Putin Edition 🤔😬 @Mike_Pence pic.twitter.com/8yBzFV1Bia

— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) March 5, 2022