Speaking to CBS News’ Jeff Glor for CBS This Morning, Vice President Mike Pence did something the actual president heavily avoided during last night’s State of the Union address: He discussed the partial government shutdown (which ended up being the longest in our country’s history) and, sickeningly, seems to have no regrets about it. Nor does he offer any kind of significant hope going forward, or even compassion for those terrified of another shutdown.
Pence, in what perhaps can best be described as belligerent oblivion, suggested, possibly as a form of pseudo-riddle, that Americans admire Trump because he "says what he means and he means what he says."
The fuller context of his nauseating statement doesn’t help his case:
“I never think it’s a mistake to stand up for what you believe in, and I think what the American people admire most about this president is he says what he means and he means what he says in a very real sense. He said there’s a crisis at our southern border. He said he was determined to get the funding to build a wall and secure our border, and he was willing to take a stand to accomplish that.”
I have serious doubts that the furloughed workers (and especially those who may not receive back pay, like federal contractors) who ended up looking for second jobs, selling belongings, and generally experiencing stress and life disruptions because of the shutdown “admire” Trump for his shutdown tantrum.
But of course, Pence’s comments get worse as the interview goes on.
Can we at least be guaranteed that another shutdown won’t happen come Feb. 15, Pence was asked. No, he said, we cannot.
“Well, I think our hope is that there’s not but, I can’t make that guarantee,” the vice president explained. “The simple truth is that Congress needs to do their job. The president laid out last night a common-sense approach to deal with what is a very real crisis on our southern border.”
In reference to working with Democrats, Pence said, “We were told they were willing to work with us … We’ve taken them at their word. The American people saw that this president is absolutely determined to keep his word to secure our border and end the crisis of illegal immigration.”
Ah, yes. The ongoing hysteria Trump loves to hype about the “crisis” of women and children fleeing to the United States for a better life. Will this ever end?