Survey reveals declining GOP support for Mike Pence

Recent polls indicate a decline in Republican support for former Vice President Mike Pence.

The latest findings from the Economist/YouGov survey revealed that the Republican sentiment towards Mike Pence, the former vice president, is increasingly negative.

The data suggests that the party remains divided in their views on Pence, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination. Specifically, 47% of the respondents expressed a favorable opinion of him, while 45% held an unfavorable view. This is a stark contrast to the pre-2020 election period when 89% of Republicans viewed Pence favorably.

Breitbart reported that the GOP's perception of Pence began to shift negatively after the events of Jan. 6, 2021. On that day, Pence declined to take action to postpone the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

Pence's Stance on the 2020 Election Certification

The survey highlighted that the certification incident remains a contentious issue between former President Donald Trump and Pence. The former VP recently stated in a CNN interview that Trump had pressured him to reject the election results.

"Republican views on Pence have grown increasingly negative since the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, when Pence refused to delay the certification of a Joe Biden victory in the 2020 election," Breitbart reported.

Pence told CNN in a recent interview:

But, look, in the days before, the president was talking about us rejecting votes, then late in the process, his lawyers suggested that we return votes to the states, but frankly, the day before January 6, if memory serves, they came back, his lawyers did, and said, we want you to reject votes outright.

Public Confrontation and Trump's Response

This claim was met with skepticism by some Trump supporters. During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, several of them confronted Pence, labeling him a "traitor" and accusing him of not upholding the constitution. In response, Pence firmly stated that he did uphold the constitution and urged them to "Read it!"

Trump, on the other hand, refuted Pence's claims. On Truth Social, Trump expressed his disbelief, stating that he never asked Pence to prioritize him over the U.S. Constitution. He further criticized Pence, referring to him as "Liddle’ Mike Pence" and suggesting that Pence had become delusional.

Recent Polls and Pence's Presidential Ambitions

A recent Morning Consult survey showed that Pence's unfavorable rating has risen to 41%, making him the second most unpopular GOP candidate. The Economist/YouGov survey, conducted from Aug. 5-8, 2023, included 1,500 respondents and has a margin of error of +/- 2.8% after adjustments.

Additionally, in a conversation with journalist Tucker Carlson, Pence was questioned about his priorities, especially concerning the state of U.S. cities and his focus on aid to Ukraine. Carlson pointed out the deteriorating conditions in American cities and questioned Pence's concern for Ukraine over the U.S.

"Well, it’s not my concern,” Pence responded. “Tucker, I’ve heard that routine from you before, but it’s not my concern. I’m running for president of the United States because I think this country is in a lot of trouble.”