Former US Vice President Mike Pence has officially announced his candidacy in the 2024 US presidential election, TASS reports.
"It would be easy to stay on the sidelines. But that's not how I was raised. That’s why today, before God and my family, I am announcing I’m running for president of the United States," Pence said in a video posted on his Twitter page on Wednesday.
Pence, who served as vice president in the administration of former US President Donald Trump, accused current US President Joe Biden and the "radical left" of weakening the United States both domestically and on the international stage. "The American dream is being crushed under runaway inflation, wages are dropping, recession is looming, our southern border is under siege, and the enemies of freedom are on the march around the world," he said, pointing out that "timeless American values are under assault as never before."
The politician noted that "different times call for different leadership," stressing that the US "needs a leader who will appeal, as Lincoln said, to the better angels of our nature." "We can bring this country back. We can defend our nation and secure our border. We can revive our economy and put our country back on a path to a balanced budget, defend our liberties and give America a new beginning for life," Pence said.
The next US presidential election is scheduled for November 2024. On April 25, Biden said he would seek re-election to the nation's highest office. Former US President Donald Trump announced his candidacy for a second White House term in November 2022.