Trump: Pence making up ‘absolutely false’ stories about him

Former President Trump slammed former Vice President Mike Pence for his recent criticism of his call to “terminate” parts of the Constitution, accusing his former running mate of making up “absolutely false” stories about him. 

“Was just watching Mike Pence make up stories about me, which are absolutely false,” Trump wrote Wednesday in a Truth Social post. “I never said for him to put me before the Constitution – I don’t talk that way, and wouldn’t even think to suggest it.”

While speaking in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Pence had called on Republicans to reject the “siren song of populism” promoted by Trump and his followers. The former vice president argued that those who favor populism over conservatism erode constitutional norms, and pointed to Trump’s call last year to “terminate” parts of the Constitution, which the former president later tried to walk back. 

Trump went on to claim Pence “failed badly on calling out voter fraud” in the 2020 presidential election. The former president has long argued that Pence had the authority to overturn the election results, a claim Pence has repeatedly rejected. 

In a separate post Wednesday, Trump called out the former vice president for going to the “dark side” ahead of the 2024 presidential election.  

“For 7 years Mike Pence only spoke well of me. Now he’s decided to go to the ‘Dark Side.’ Why didn’t he do this years before, just like why didn’t DOJ [Department of Justice] and Deranged Jack Smith bring these fake indictments three years ago,” Trump wrote. “Why did they wait until the middle of my campaign where I am beating DeSanctiminouoius and all others badly, and beating Biden in almost every Poll?”

Pence’s recent comments are part of a larger effort to differentiate himself as a more traditionally conservative GOP figure, in comparison to other candidates such as Trump and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who he argues rely on populism.

Still, the former Indiana governor continues to struggle to raise his numbers in the GOP primary polls. Recent polling shows him with around 6 percent support from likely Republican primary voters, compared to Trump’s 60 percent.