前副总统迈克·彭斯渴望有机会与共事四年的老板辩论，他暗示前总统唐纳德·特朗普本周可能仍会在密尔沃基辩论——尽管消息来源显示他不太可能出席。
在美国广播公司(ABC)“本周”(This Week)周日的一次采访中，联合主播乔纳森·卡尔(Jonathan Karl)问及特朗普“如果他甚至懒得出席第一场总统初选辩论”，彭斯说特朗普仍然可以。
“你知道，我在总统身边工作了很长一段时间，我对他的一个认识是，直到结束才结束，”彭斯说。“所以我实际上仍然希望他出现，乔恩。我的意思是，你知道，登上那架飞机，特朗普一号，然后走上舞台。”
“我认为，我们每一个有资格参加辩论的人都应该站在舞台上，愿意摆好架势，回答棘手的问题，并形成鲜明的对比，”他继续说道。“你知道，我和前总统的分歧远远不止于此一月份那悲惨的一天两年半前。"
特朗普是打算跳过据知情人士透露，这是共和党的第一场初选辩论，并预先录制了与前福克斯新闻频道主持人塔克·卡尔森的静坐，将于周三作为一场竞争活动播出。
彭斯在“本周”节目中表示，特朗普和该领域的其他人正在“背离美国在世界上的领导地位”，并“背离财政责任和改革的承诺”，倾向于他在支持乌克兰军队和改革美国福利计划方面的分歧。
彭斯还承诺在椭圆形办公室“捍卫生命的事业”，而他说特朗普和其他人正在“回避”传统的保守事业。
当被问及他的辩论策略以及他打算如何突破时，彭斯告诉卡尔，“我觉得我一直在为这第一次共和党总统辩论做准备。”
他说:“我在那场辩论中的目标之一是让美国人民，共和党初选选民，在更广泛的背景下了解我，并展示我们在这方面的领导能力，我认为这是目前所需要的。”“我认为现在不是进行在职培训的时候。当我站在这个舞台上时，我想向美国人民展示我作为副总统、州长和国会议员的所有经历，以及我将这些经历和保守记录用于应对这个国家面临的挑战的决心。”
2023年8月2日，共和党总统候选人、前副总统迈克·彭斯在印第安纳波利斯的印第安纳州博览会上接受媒体采访。
达隆·卡明斯/美联社
这位前副总统是至少九位似乎有资格参加辩论的共和党候选人之一，包括川普、佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯、生物技术企业家维韦克·拉马斯瓦米、前联合国大使妮基·黑利、南卡罗来纳州参议员蒂姆·斯科特、前新泽西州州长克里斯·克里斯蒂、北达科他州州长道格·布尔根和前阿肯色州州长阿萨·哈钦森。
商人佩里·约翰逊和佛罗里达州迈阿密市市长弗朗西斯·苏亚雷斯也表示，他们已经符合共和党全国委员会的资格，但RNC尚未公开确认任何一位参加辩论的人。
根据RNC，候选人在辩论前48小时内有资格。
特朗普“从未意识到任何基础广泛的努力”来解密文件
特朗普自卸任以来已被起诉四次，并否认所有不当行为。这第二组指控针对他的指控是由联邦检察官提出的，涉及他在离任时对机密信息的处理。
在前三起案件中，他对所有指控均不认罪，在第四起案件中，他尚未提出抗辩，但他称该案为“政治迫害”。
随着特朗普继续声称他解密了离开白宫后带去Mar-a-Lago的所有文件，美国广播公司新闻周日独家报道据知情人士透露，特朗普的最后一任幕僚长马克·梅多斯(Mark Meadows)告诉联邦调查人员，他不知道特朗普有如此广泛的解密命令。
当卡尔问及他是否听到任何迹象表明特朗普已经发布了解密此类文件的命令时，彭斯说他“从未意识到”有任何此类努力。
“首先，处理机密材料是国家生活中极其严肃的事情，但我真的不能对你的报道发表评论。但在我的情况下，我从来没有意识到任何基础广泛的解密文件的努力，”他说。“白宫解密材料需要经过一个过程。我知道在我们的四年中，这种情况发生过几次，但我不知道总统有任何广泛的指示。但这并不意味着它没有发生。...这是我从未听说过的。”
当被问及梅多斯作为参谋长是否会知道这样的努力时，彭斯说，“我希望如此”，但拒绝进一步评论他在没有证据的情况下提出的来自司法部的“泄漏”。
“听着，特朗普总统有权享有无罪推定。他有权上法庭，”他说。“我不会对最近的泄露或这一过程中的最新报道发表评论。”
尽管围绕着他的法律挑战，这位前总统继续追求他的复出努力，留下了一个被判犯有刑事重罪的人可能在白宫服务的可能性。
2002年，彭斯作为国会议员，投票将被判犯有联邦腐败罪的民主党人詹姆斯·特拉菲坎特驱逐出众议院。
“你和几乎所有其他众议院议员都投票驱逐他，说让一个已被定罪的重罪犯成为国会议员是不对的。你会对白宫持同样标准吗?”卡尔按下了便士。
“如果你是说，我会把这一点应用到我的前竞选伙伴身上吗?听着，我认为这应该由美国人民来决定。听着，让前总统在法庭上一展身手吧，”彭斯说。“没有人可以凌驾于法律之上。但是关于总统的未来，我希望当我们进入辩论阶段时——我仍然有点希望他会来——我们可以真正就美国人民面临的挑战进行辩论。”
Pence suggests Trump could still show up to debate
Former Vice President Mike Pence, eager for the opportunity to debate his boss of four years, suggested former President Donald Trump might still debate in Milwaukee this week -- despitesources indicatinghe's unlikely to attend.
Pressed by co-anchor Jonathan Karl in an interview for ABC's "This Week" Sunday on what it says about Trump "if he doesn't even bother to show up to the first presidential primary debate," Pence said Trump still could.
"You know, I served alongside the president for a long time, and one thing I realized about him is it's not over till it's over," Pence said. "So I'm actually still hoping he shows up, Jon. I mean, you know, to get on that plane, Trump Force One, and head out on that stage."
"I think every one of us that have qualified for that debate stage ought to be on the stage, be willing to square off, answer the tough questions and also draw a bright line contrast," he continued. "You know, my differences with the former president go far beyondthat tragic day in Januarytwo and a half years ago."
Trump isplanning to skipthe first Republican primary debate and has pre-recorded a sit-down with former Fox News Host Tucker Carlson that will air on Wednesday as a competing event, ABC News previously reported, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Pence said on "This Week" that Trump and others in the field are "walking away from America's leadership in the world" and "walking away from a commitment of fiscal responsibility and reform," leaning into his differences over support to Ukraine's military and for reforming U.S. entitlement programs.
Pence also promised to "champion the cause of life" from the Oval Office, while he says Trump and others are "shying away" from traditional conservative causes.
Asked about his strategy for the debate and how he plans to breakthrough, Pence told Karl, "I feel like I've been preparing for this first Republican presidential debate my whole life."
"One of my goals in that debate is for the American people, Republican primary voters, to get to know me in a little bit broader context and demonstrate the kind of leadership that we bring to this, which I think is what the moment calls for," he said. "I think it's no time for on-the-job training. I want to project when I'm on that stage, to the American people, all of what came with the experience of serving as vice president, as a governor and as a member of Congress, and my determination to bring that experience and that conservative record to bear on the challenges facing this country."
The former vice president is among at least nine Republican candidates who appear to have qualified for the debate including Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Businessman Perry Johnson and Miami, Florida, Mayor Francis Suarez also say they've met the Republican National Committee's qualifications, but the RNC has yet to publicly confirm any of the debate attendees.
Candidates have until 48 hours before the debate to qualify, according to the RNC.
Pence was "never made aware of any broad-based effort" by Trump to declassify docs
Trump has been indicted four times since he left office and denies all wrongdoing. Thesecond set of chargesagainst him were brought by federal prosecutors in relation to his handling of classified information while out of office.
He has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the first three cases and has yet to enter a plea in the fourth but has labeled the case a "witch hunt."
As Trump continues to claim that he declassified all of the documents he took with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House,ABC News exclusively reported Sundaythat, according to sources familiar with the matter,Trump's last chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has told federal investigators that he knew of no such broad declassification order from Trump.
Asked by Karl whether he had heard anything to suggest Trump has issued an order declassifying documents like that, Pence said he was "never made aware" of any such efforts.
"First off, the handling of classified materials is enormously serious in the life of the nation, but I can't really comment on your reporting. But in my case, I was never made aware of any broad-based effort to declassify documents," he said. "There is a process that the White House goes through to declassify materials. I'm aware of that occurring on several occasions over the course of our four years, but I don't have any knowledge of any broad-based directive from the president. But that doesn't mean it didn't occur. ... It's not something that I ever heard."
Pressed about whether Meadows as chief of staff would have known about such an effort, Pence said, "I would expect so" but declined to comment further on what he suggested -- without evidence -- were "leaks" from the Justice Department.
"Look, President Trump is entitled to a presumption of innocence. He's entitled to his day in court," he said. "And I'm just not going to comment on the latest leak or the latest reporting coming out of that process."
Despite the legal challenges surrounding him, the former president has continued to pursue his comeback bid, leaving open the possibility that somebody convicted of a criminal felony could serve in the White House.
In 2002, Pence, as a member of Congress, voted to expel from the House of Representatives James Traficant, a Democrat who was convicted of federal corruption charges.
"You, and virtually every other member of the House, voted to expel him, saying that it wasn't right to have a convicted felon as a member of Congress. Would you hold that same standard for the White House?" Karl pressed Pence.
"If you're saying, would I apply that to my former running mate in this race? Look, I think that needs to be left to the American people. Look, let's let the former president have his day in court," Pence said. "No one's above the law. But with regard to the president's future, my hope is when we get to that debate stage -- I'm still kind of hoping maybe he'll come -- is that we could really have a debate about the challenges facing the American people."
