Here's What Mike Pence Said In His First Speech Since Leaving Office

Only one day after President Joe Biden delivered his first-ever joint address to Congress as commander-in-chief on April 28 — in which he discussed his first 100 days in office and hot-button topics such as the pandemic, gun control, police reform, and immigration laws —  ex-Vice President Mike Pence came out of the woodwork to give an official statement all his own. Pence, who departed from the White House in January, has been the subject of much speculation ever since: whether it's the status of his relationship with his former boss Donald Trump, whether or not Pence has secured a permanent residence, or the overall status of his health. But on April 29, Pence finally emerged from his absence from the political limelight at a "conservative evangelical" gala event in South Carolina, per Politico.

So what did Pence say during his first official speech in his first appearance since the end of his White House tenure? How did it reflect on his current relationship with Trump, or for that matter, his status with the Republican party at large? Keep on scrolling to find out.

During his first speech since leaving the White House and the administration of ex-President Donald Trump, former VP Mike Pence spoke to attendees at an event in South Carolina in an effort to rally conservatives. As the New York Post and Politico both reported the day after the April 29 gala — which, per the Post, was thrown by "a conservative Christian nonprofit" whose lobbying platform is based upon "biblical values" — Pence centered his address on the GOP-centric crusade for religious liberties and against President Joe Biden's "avalanche of liberal policies" on topics like immigration and police reform.

While Pence catered to his audience at the event, Politico noted the former VP scarcely mentioned his time within the Trump legislation, only alluding to it as, in Pence's opinion, "four years of consequence, four years of results, and four years of promises kept." He also his accomplishments in the White House with the "royal we," seemingly referring to the former president. Pence was similarly vague with regards to his own possible participation in the 2024 general election.

Following Pence's April speech, an unnamed former campaign staffer told Politico that while Pence might still attempt a continuation of his political career, his divisiveness among Trump supporters after the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol might be an ultimate imposition. "He wasn't a liability" during the 2020 election, explained the source, "but his ability to attract new voters wasn't really there."