3 commitments Mike Pence made in NH – and why they matter for voters coast to coast
EXETER, N.H. — Many candidates in the Republican presidential field are calling for a new generation of leaders in Washington. Former Vice President Mike Pence isn’t one of them.
“It’s not a time for on-the-job training,” he told a crowd of New Hampshire voters at a town hall sponsored by the Paste BN Network last week, repeating an argument he’s made time and again on the 2024 campaign trail.
“I’m running for president because, and I do say this with all humility, I’m the most qualified, tested and ready conservative seeking the Republican nomination”
Pence has pitched a more traditional brand of conservatism than other candidates in the race that's focused on Republican values, fiscal responsibility and a strong U.S. military presence. Once deputy to former President Donald Trump, Pence also has offered strong rebukes of his ex-running mate's populist style, arguing it is "unmoored to conservative principles.”
But that argument doesn’t appear to be resonating with voters in the Granite State, or across the country. A recent Suffolk University survey, conducted in partnership with The Boston Globe and Paste BN, showed Pence at just 1% in New Hampshire.
At the national level, Pence is doing slightly better. A Morning Consult survey on the race, fielded between Oct. 13 and 15, showed Pence at 6% – over 40 points behind Trump. He's also trailing GOP contenders like former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
So, how is Pence attempting to win over voters? Here’s a look at the priorities he outlined in New Hampshire that would impact Americans coast to coast if the former vice president is elected to the White House.
Reforming Social Security
When it comes to balancing the federal budget and reducing the national debt, Pence has called for reforming mandatory spending programs like Social Security and Medicare – at least for some Americans.
“I’d say to everybody that’s got hair the same color as me, this doesn’t affect you ... we’re not going to make changes to the deal,” the one-time talk radio host told voters in New Hampshire.
For Americans under age 40, however, Pence said he would opt to privatize Social Security by allowing young workers to invest their payroll taxes into savings accounts. He insisted that the plan would give American workers twice what they earn from Social Security.
The idea has been floated before by members of the Republican Party, most prominently during former President George W. Bush's administration. But it has never garnered enough support in Congress to become a reality for Americans.
Aiding Israel
As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, Pence in New Hampshire pledged to unequivocally support Israel, calling the country “our most cherished ally.”
“We’ll make it clear to Hezbollah and Lebanon, to Iran and any other powers in the region, that everybody needs to stand down,” Pence said. “We’re going to defend Israel.”
During the Trump administration, Pence helped negotiate the Abraham Accords, a bilateral agreement signed by Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in 2020 to normalize relations. However, at the town hall, Pence noted that facilitating further peace talks likely wouldn’t be a priority under his administration, given the ongoing war.
“It feels to me like real progress is going to have to take a second chair to Israel doing what it needs to do,” he said.
Countering China
Pence offered similarly strong words on other issues of U.S. national security, including ongoing efforts to bolster Ukraine in its war against Russia.
When asked about his views on allocating U.S. taxpayer dollars to aid foreign conflicts, he argued that it’s among the most powerful ways America can stave off future aggression by countries like China.
“China has made no secret of the fact that they would like to grab Taiwan,” Pence said. The Chinese government views the East Asian island as an extension of its territory and in recent years has ramped up military activity around its shores.
Describing the growing superpower as “the greatest economic and strategic threat facing the U.S.,” Pence told New Hampshire voters that, as president, he would push to implement tariffs on Chinese goods and expand U.S. military presence in the South China Sea to defend American interests in the region.
“The way we deal with China is not by diminishing our commitment to the Asia-Pacific. It’s by increasing our commitment,” Pence argued. A strong defense strategy would pave the way toward “a peaceful future with China and progress for the Chinese people,” he said.