When asked about the “biggest threat facing America,” Vice President Mike Pence included the danger of socialism in his answer.
“When you see the rise of support among young people for socialism, which is a philosophy that has robbed the liberties of generations and impoverished nations over the last century, I think it’s incumbent on us to go out and tell freedom’s story,” Pence said on PragerU’s “The Candace Owen Show.”
Vice President Mike Pence appears on “The Candace Owens Show,” Sept. 23, 2019. PragerU screenshot
Pence continued, “The idea of socialism, whether we call it ‘Medicare for All or the Green New Deal, the truth is that socialism is antithetical to freedom.” The chief of staff to New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has pitched the Green New Deal, admits the policy is more about changing the American economy than protecting the environment. (RELATED: Trump Settles Speculation About Mike Pence, And Whether He Wants A Third Term In Office)
Calling socialism “the challenge from within,” Pence cited “radical Islamic terrorists who struck this country 18 years ago [who] are still afoot in the world” as the most prominent external threat to the United States.
The former governor of Indiana also spent some time discussing the achievements of President Donald Trump and his administration, citing the economic boom and low unemployment — especially among black and Hispanic Americans — as “a source of pride.”
President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, on September 16, 2019. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
“As we see the economy rebound following the president’s tax cuts, the rollback of red tape at historic levels, unleashing American energy, it’s not just six million more jobs that the president and I celebrate, it’s not just unemployment at a 50 year low, but to see the lowest unemployment ever recorded for African-Americans in this country is a source of great pride to the president and to me.”
Pence said economic success comes because “Every American just wants the opportunity to live the American Dream.” (RELATED: Mike Pence Defends Christianity, Rips ‘Tolerant’ Left At Liberty University)
The vice president repeated what he says is the abiding philosophy of his personal and political life: “I am a Christian, a conservative and a Republican — in that order.” As someone who offers no “apology” for being pro-life, Pence said he is encouraged because “young people are embracing the right to life more and more, and standing up for the sanctity of life.”