Pence Deepens Rift With Trump Over Putin Praise, 2020 Obsession

Former vice president is speaking at RNC donor retreat
Trump has stood by comments calling Putin ‘smart’ and ‘savvy’

Former Vice President Mike Pence
Photographer: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg

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By Mark Niquette

March 4, 2022 at 10:24 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Former Vice President Mike Pence plans to tell Republican donors that there’s no place in the GOP for “apologists” of Russian President Vladimir Putin, his latest shot at Donald Trump ahead of a possible 2024 presidential election bid.

Pence is expected to make the comments about Putin and defend the expansion of NATO in Eastern Europe during a speech Friday night at the Republican National Committee’s spring retreat in New Orleans, according to excerpts obtained by Bloomberg News.