“That is what we used to call FAKE NEWS. Here’s the full clip of my remarks if you’re interested,” Former Vice President and current GOP presidential candidate Mike Pence tweeted, after a comment he made during an interview with TheBlaze’s Tucker Carlson went viral.
The viral video clip shows Carlson criticizing Pence’s support for U.S. aid to Ukraine aid and asking the former vice president “Where’s the concern for the United States in all that?”
“Well that’s not my concern, Tucker. I’ve heard that routine from you before, but that’s not my concern,” Pence replied, prompting critics to post video ending after one of the two “not my concern” comments.
In one video-tweet reacting to Pence’s remark, conservative commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk wrote: “Tucker Carlson just brutalized Mike Pence for prioritizing Ukraine despite a litany of social ills afflicting America: Tucker: ‘Where's the concern for the United States?’”
Pence replied to Kirk’s tweet, calling it “FAKE NEWS” and posting video of the full question and answer, the point of which appears to be that Pence believes America can both help Ukraine and address its problems at home.
Sorry @charliekirk11. That is what we used to call FAKE NEWS. Here’s the full clip of my remarks if you’re interested: https://t.co/2O3UD76fIB pic.twitter.com/S6alSS92Rg
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) July 14, 2023
The full Carlson-Pence exchange is presented below:
Carlson: “I know you’re running for president. You are distressed that the Ukrainians don’t have enough American tanks? Every city in the United States has become much worse over the past three years.
“Drive around — there’s not one city that’s gotten better in the United States and it’s visible. Our economy has degraded, the suicide rate has jumped, public filth and disorder and crime have exponentially increased - and yet your concern is that the Ukrainians — a country most people can’t find on a map, who’ve received tens of billions of U.S. tax dollars — don’t have enough tanks?
“I think it’s a fair question to ask: where’s the concern for the United States in that?”
Pence: “Well that’s not my concern. Tucker, I’ve heard that routine from you before, but that’s not my concern.
“I am running for president of the United States because I think this country is in a lot of trouble. I think Joe Biden has weakened America at home and abroad. And, as president of the United States we’re going to restore law and order in our cities, we’re going to secure our border, we’re going to get this economy moving again, and we’re going to make sure that we have men and women on our courts at every level that will stand for the right to life and defend all the God-given liberties enshrined in our constitution.
“Anybody that says that we can’t be the leader of the free world and solve our problems at home has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on earth.
“We can do both. And as president of the United States we will secure our border we will support our military we will revive our economy and stand by our values and we will also lead the world for freedom under my administration. I promise you.”