against 20 years of service. as mike pence steps into the presidential campaign just moments from now, we'll find out which one republican voters value. plus, a bushel of tea leaves to read in the trump classified documents case. brand new details about witnesses in florida and d.c. and a new hint about when all of this might come to a head. and any surgery involving an 86-year-old is cause for concern, but that concern magnified a thousand fold when the patient is the pope. the latest on the operation that just wrapped up in rome coming up. but we start with a presidential run that pits political resume against political reality. mike pence set to announce his bid in iowa, seemingly checks box after box on the republican wish list. he's a former congressman, governor, vice president, who in past years, would likely have been a true contender.

but as the national review puts it, quote, he is a good man, a solid conservative, and is qualified and prepared for the job as anyone in the field, including the current and former president. but pence's cannedsy faces the same basic obstacles of those of nikki haley, tim scott and others, he seems man from an earlier time and little sign for demand of his candidacy. he enters the race 50 points behind donald trump, a man who once categoried him as a coward. a democratic pollster and president of brilliant corners research, john kasic, former governor of ohio and former presidential candidate. cornell and john are msnbc political analysts. great to have you all here. governor, mike pence is a conservative, big with evangelics, no stranger to the cultural wars, all things you

would think the party likes, but do his actions on january 6th, the fact that he refused to hold up certification of the election, just negate all of that? >> well, i -- what i think at the end of the day here, chris, is that he carries all the baggage associated with trump, bulls he doesn't get any of the benefits. it's plain and simple. i don't see what the path is. it reminds me in some ways of when dan quayle sought the presidency in 2000 and didn't get anywhere. i think with pence, again, you know, he's associated with trump, but then kind of not, and so i don't know what his lane would be, and i'm not quite sure why he's doing it. hey, i never want to write anybody off at this stage. there's plenty of time go. a lot can happen. lightening can strike. that's the way i see it at this point. >> cornell, i think there are a lot of people who believe as governor kasic does, "the wall street journal" editorial board was brutal and said pence, quote, has a reputation for

being about as exciting as a mayonnaise sandwich on toast. without a little extra zing he might have difficulty getting the attention of gop primary voters nationwide. how does he get attention? >> well look, i think there's -- the governor makes a good point, as usual here. i think you have to double down on this idea where he gets all the blame but none of the credit for it. if you look at the polling out there right now, next to chris christie he has the highest unfavorables. him actually speaking out against donald trump about the january 6th is actually not helped him with the base of the republican party. his lane seems to be a lane from main street republicanism of the '90s and early 2000s. it's hard to see how he catches traction. however, iowa is a state where you have a large evangelical

base, as the governor knows, a larger evangelical base, and, you know, you remember huckaby came out of iowa, cruz came out in iowa last time around. of course neither one of them ended up with the nomination, but if there's a state he can catch fire in with a large evangelical base of voters, it's iowa. if he can build on that and garner fundraising traction, he may have a chance. >> so here's what i'm trying to wrap my head around, governor. exactly as cornell says, iowa is a terrible predictor of who ends up as the nominee, and i get the idea of what you say, maybe somebody catches fire and maybe if you surprise everybody, and you somehow finish first or second and you're supposed to finish third or fourth or eighth, maybe that helps you a little bit. but there's a lot of people -- and i think pence is one of them -- putting an awful lot of

eggs in the iowa basket. tell me why that makes sense? >> iowa is really tough. if you go out there, i mean, if you meet with somebody out there in the old days, at least, they wanted to know would you put my brother-in-law on your payroll. it's a really -- if you go to the state convention, whatever it is, you got to pay for a parking space. i don't know if they cleaned that up. it's difficult. i have a different view. you have to go to iowa and show respect. but at the end i think your play is fundamentally places like new hampshirep then into south carolina. can you build momentum in new hampshire? can you exceed expectations? something i did when i was running, but i went to south carolina and had no name i.d. and died in the south until we came north. can you exceed expectations, generate press, and get people excited? i think cornell makes a good point about the evangelicals but

who knows where they're going to be. what it gets down to in terms of this primary, it's interesting, i was talking to a friend of mine in new hampshire, trump has 30, 35%, get all the people in there and divide the vote. here's the question, is there really anything that can come out about donald trump that will turn that 30 or 35% off? i said the other day on the air here that i was with a person, opened my eye, is there anything trump can do to lose your support? he thought about it for a second and said no. because i don't believe any of the stuff that's going to come from these people who are going to criticize him. the question is, it would be interesting to have a focus group and figure out what are those things that could pry loose those trump supporters who are sort of sticking to him now, regardless, because they think anything they hear out of you and me is propaganda from the media, blah-blah-blah. is there anything that can pull those voters away?

that is going to be a key question in the nomination process. >> let's go to iowa and i know you talk to folks. i don't know if there's an answer to the governor's question, which is what might draw them away, but i know you can answer this question, which is, what is it that the campaign thinks that they can get people to come to his side in iowa? >> well, coming to you right as the former vice president's brother is introducing him on stage. today is pence's birthday, his 64th birthday, and there's a reason he is making this announcement here in iowa. i heard what our other folks are talking about, iowa is tough. governor kasic is right. but the campaign believes that if it's not here, it's nowhere. this is the place where he can really make his case because of that large base of evangelical voters here. they plan to hit up all 99 counties, 70 plus pizza ranches here.

this is where he will really try to push forward that retail politics and make his case and try to sort of turn the page on the trump administration at the same time as he touts the successes of that administration as well. he's going to be walking this really fine line, but, of course, the biggest contrast and perhaps the biggest liability, chris, is january 6th. that is where he has most significantly distanced himself from the president, but he still has hedged his words even on that. i will tell you, even looking at the wi-fi password today, the password is kept his oath with an exclamation point. that might tell you what their strategy is going to be when it comes to tackling that issue. i think that there's a belief that the only way out is through there, they're going to have to address it head on. how that plays with voters, here's the thing. there's a part of the republican base that thinks he betrayed the former president, that's very

angry with him. another part of the republican party that thinks he didn't rebuke trump soon enough. it is a tough spot to be in right now. where and how he carves out that lane will be interesting to see as he launch his presidential bid today. >> i think that's fascinating, cornell. that password. i mean honestly, one of the things i was going to be looking for is, how much does he embrace -- he can't walk away from it, right? how much, to what extent and how many times does he say trump when he talks about what he did on january 6th? because there's so much of the base that's not with him on that. what are you watching for in this speech? >> well, what i'm watching for in this speech, i'm watching for him to double down on his faith and his beliefs. i do think if he has a shot at any state, it's got to be iowa, given the large evangelical base of voters there. he has to have that conversation with them about faith and tie

his actions on that day and moving forward to his faith and beliefs. if he can't come in first or close second in iowa he's not going to be new hampshire and south carolina. there is nothing left for him, if he can't make a play for the evangelical base in iowa, there's no rational for his campaign. >> do you think he's going to stick to that lane, and that lane is clear for him, he is someone who is the frontrunner -- >> i -- >> he is somebody who can quote scripture to a crowd like that. i mean, it seems like, i don't want to put words in your mouth, what he says may not matter because his hill is so high to climb? >> look, i think it's really, really tough and i'll tell you something i want to bring up here, cchris, in addition to this, i heard there's a person

pretty attractive looking at getting in this race, i don't know whether he will or not, but the mayor of miami, florida, frances suarez is an idea person, apparently very appealing. it's tough to go from being the mayor -- although buttigieg made a lot of noise -- because what everybody is going to have to look for is what is the anti-trump lane. it doesn't mean you stomp on trump people. you tip toe, get over there, say what you have to say. what is your vision and what are the positive things you're going to do. mike pence is a good guy. i think he waited too long to say anything about trump and, you know, to say i stood up on january 6th, i don't think he had any choice. i just don't see the path. i think cornell and dasha are right. i guess iowa, it's your last hurrah, but i don't see it. everybody wants to count everybody out and force everybody to get out.

give it time and let there be oxygen and see what happens. >> going back to what the governor -- >> mayor suarez, remember that one, though. >> trust me, we're going to do a follow-up segment on that tomorrow if that's your intel. maybe you can come back and talk more about it. >> yeah. >> but one of the things that the governor said, cornell, was about looking ahead to things like new hampshire and south carolina. i mean, let's be honest, in your party, last time, joe biden was all but dead going into south carolina. a lot of people wrote him off. suddenly he's the nominee, right? here we go. we've got -- is that mike pence. no, that's his brother. i thought mike pence was going to come up. clearly not. so i wonder if, again, i'll go back to my original premise, are we putting too much stock in iowa here? >> yes, and no. you've got to have a good showing early on in order to

build momentum and to raise cash because you've got -- it's incredible. i worked for a guy who in '08, his winning iowa made people say wait a minute, maybe, in fact, this guy is credible, a guy by the name of barack obama. i don't want to write iowa off, although again -- >> do you want to write mayor suarez off? >> no. i think the governor is right. look, it's way early. and you do got to give this time and you do have to have the dynamics sort of unfold. again in '08, no one thought barack obama was going to beat hillary clinton and most of my -- most of the insiders thought barack obama had no chance. lightening can strike. i think it's tougher these days because of the super pacs and the spending that's happening right now. i think it's harder, but again, if he can't make it happen in

iowa i don't think he has any shot whatsoever to make it happen in the united states. >> cornell, if i could say one thing about barack obama, he had something that i've talked about consistently. you have to have some money, you have to have ideas, but barack obama had something, still has it today, it's that magic, isn't it? >> it's that, you know, you walk into a room, and he just -- he sets the thing on fire. that's what he had is unique that i don't see in a republican candidate at this point, that magic. can you get it, catch it, find it, put it in a bottle? perhaps. when we talk about obama, we're talking about, you know, something that is truly unique that we've seen in presidential politics. >> mayonnaise on toast doesn't get us there, but again, it's very early. dasha burns, cornell bellcher and former governor kasic, i thank you very much. we're going to watch the stage in iowa and bring you mike

pence's speech as soon as it starts. ahead, ask the agents. members of the secret service testify in trump's classified documents case. that's in 60 seconds. classifie documents case that's in 60 seconds the first time you made a sale online with godaddy was also the first time you heard of a town named dinosaur, colorado. we just got an order from dinosaur, colorado. start an easy to build, powerful website for free with a partner that always puts you first. start for free at godaddy.com (vo) this is sadie. she's on verizon, and she has the new myplan where she gets exactly what she wants with a partner that always puts you first.

and only pays for what she needs. she picks only the perks she wants and saves on every one! all with an incredible new iphone. act now and get iphone 14 pro on us when you switch. it's your verizon. today multiple new developments in the special counsel investigation into donald trump's handling of classified documents. but hang on, because the judge overseeing the washington grand jury gave reporters a timing clue, saying everyone is all geared up this week, but i'm not sure this is the week to be all geared up. still, a lot of new information. "the new york times" reports that mark meadows has testified before the grand jury hearing evidence in the case, according to two people briefed on the matter. nbc news has not confirmed that. in a related matter, nbc news has learned that roughly two dozen secret service agents have been subpoenaed or appeared before that same washington grand jury.

and in florida, where we now know a second grand jury is operating, trump's former spokesman taylor budowich, also the head of his super pac, was seen entering the federal courthouse this morning, later confirming that he was there to provide testimony. let's bring in nbc's justice and intel correspondent ken dilanian and barbara mcquade, msnbc legal analyst. ken, i understand we heard from budowich. what more did he have to say, and why might his testimony be significant? >> that's right, chris. he confirmed his appearance before the grand jury on twitter and i'll read in part what he had to say. he said, i fulfilled a legal obligation to testify in front of a grand jury and answered every question honestly. he added, i will not be intimidated by the weaponization of government. we have reporting from our colleagues von hill lard and laura jarrett who said budowich testified about an hour in front of the grand jury and asked

about a statement that former president trump made denying he had taken classified information. we're trying to figure out what statement that might have been and the relevance there, but it suggests, in fact, the inquiry was about the classified documents case which has been principally investigated by a grand jury in washington, d.c., but that grand jury has been dormant for the last month and we have people at the courthouse right now who have seen no sign that it's meeting even today. it's possible that center of gravity of this classified documents investigation has now shifted to the southern district of florida, to the courthouse in miami and possible charges could be brought in both places. we're waiting and we're going to keep reporting it out. >> yeah. what do all these new developments tell you, barbara? some people say it's broader than we thought it was. maybe, again, as ken said, there may be multiple indictments brought against different people in different jurisdictions. i guess all of that is possible, right? >> yes. you know, i know from my own experience in working on cases

that get some press attention, that the press often only knows a smidge of what's going on. one theory that seems to make most sense to me, the case remains in washington, d.c., where it's always been, and that this investigation in florida is likely pursuing kind of one off charges against individual witnesses. it's quite possible that someone who has never been to washington, d.c., was interviewed by fbi agents in florida and lied to them, for example. that would be a false statements case and there would not be venue in washington, d.c. you would have to charge that case in florida. and it's typical that you might charge some of these lesser players in hopes to secure their cooperation against the bigger players who are likely still to be charged out of washington. that's my best read of what's going on there. the mark meadows investigation, testimony, secret service testimony, all says to me those are kind of the final pieces that jack myth would need to check off on his list before he

would be able to file an indictment. >> let me ask you about the secret service agents. we know going back to when there was the controversy about whether or not donald trump had tried -- had put his hands on a secret service agent when he was driving january 6th, wanted to go to the capitol and so on and so forth. we learned a lot about some of the maybe political leanings of some members of the secret service. does compliance necessarily mean cooperation, and what do you think it is that they want to know, that prosecutors want to know from the secret service agents? >> well, based on the sheer volume of the agents, according to the reports, two dozen agents being put into the grand jury, it says to me that they are going through methodically and talking to everybody who might have been in a position to overhear something important to either of these two cases. that's something strategically you would want to do as a prosecutor, whether the information is good or bad, you want to know it and know the facts so you can make an

informed decision before you file charges. you don't want to charge the case and a year from now when the case goes to trial some agent shows up and says something that's a surprise to you for the defense. even if some of the secret service agent some place been loyal to donald trump in their duty, i think they are very likely to tell the truth when put under oath. their loyalty is to the united states. i worked a lot with secret service agents and would be surprised to find some that do not tell the truth. they may not want to volunteer a whole lot but if you ask them questions they will answer truthfully. >> is it still your inclination that we saw mark meadows going in, taylor budowich going in, the secret service agents who had gone in, that we're still at the tail end of this? >> i do. i say this as like the way a construction crew might put together a punch list. a number of things we can do before we declare this project done. here's the list and let's get through them. right now what we're seeing is

going through the punch list with an indictment coming. i think probably not today and not this week in light of the taylor budowich testimony today in miami. i think that after the last witness testifies, there will still need to be some period of time, not lengthy, but for the prosecutors to analyze everything they have, draft the indictment, share it with merrick garland, make sure he doesn't not object which he has the right to do and go forward. we're still not this week but soon. >> barbara mcquade and ken dilanian, great talking to both of you. coming up, the pope's surgery and what we're learning about the health of 86-year-old francis and the head of the u.n. calls ate catastrophe. how floodwaters unleashed by the destruction of a dam could alter the course of the war in ukraine. before we go you have to seat wild image out of hawaii. this is the kilauea volcano, one of the most active in the world, it is erupting on the big

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(woman . former mike pence in iowa, about to kick off his his presidential campaign. let's listen. >> it's great to be back in the hawkeye state. you know, indiana will always be home for us and i get why people make big announcements back home, in their hometown, at their resort, even on twitter.

but we wanted to be here in person, in iowa. we are here because we know that iowa was the right place to start our engines for the great american comeback! we just wanted you to know, men and women of iowa, we know the next republican nominee for president and the next president of the united states will get their start right here in the hawkeye state. so we thank you all for being here. we're truly grateful, all of you, that have come from near and far. i stand before you today deeply

humbled. as a son of the heartland, a grandson of an irish immigrant, my dad was a combat veteran in the korean war, my mom, a first generation irish american. 91 years young and looking on from home today. hi, mom. our family lived the american dream. i married the girl of my dreams. now you understand a little bit more about how special she is. elementary schoolteacher, an artist a pilot, and the best second lady the united states of america has ever had. would you join me in thanking my amazing wife karen pence.

[ applause ] >> as karen just told you, together we raised three incredible kids. married three amazing spouses. in the past two years, we've became grandparents three times over to the most beautiful three little grand daughters ever born in the history of the world. our son is a captain in the united states marine corps. [ applause ] our daughter charlotte is a best-selling author and married to a lieutenant in the united states navy. they just finished top gun. [ applause ] and our daughter audrey is a yale law graduate and now practicing law. let me just say as karen did, we love you guys. i miss you today. you know, i actually started in politics in another part, you may not know that.

but i got to tell you, as soon as i heard the voice of the 40th president of the united states i joined the reagan revolution and never looked back. [ applause ] i came to faith in jesus christ, as a man in college. i started a lifelong love affair with the constitution of the united states. for all of my adult life, as my brother just said, the introduction i prefer is pretty short. i'm a christian a conservative, and a republican in that order, and it has been my honor to serve you. the people of this state and nation. [ applause ] most americans kno from my last assignment in the white house. what you may not know is i was also a congressman from indiana for 12 years.

i was a leader for house conservatives. we fought for life and liberty. i battled against big spenders in both political parties during those years and most of them remember it. i was a governor in indiana where we cut taxes, as you heard from speaker houston, achieved record employment, expanded educational choice, stood for the right to life and freedom of religion. as your vice president, i am proud to stand by president donald trump every single day when we made america great again. [ applause ] everything i am, everything i ever will be, i owe to my family, the people of this country, and to almighty god. i often think of that verse of king david wrote, who am i and who is my family that you brought me this far? you know, i truly do believe in

the boundless potential of every american, to live the american dream. traveling around this country over the past two years since i left office, it feels different, doesn't it? talking to our fellow americans, i see weariness on faces everywhere i go. i hear it in their voices. i don't have to tell any of you here, this country is in a lot of trouble. president joe biden and the radical left have weakened america at home and abroad. the confidence and pride that once lifted the american spirit to new heights, not so long ago, has given way to fear and growing angst that our best days might be in the past. in many ways our country has grown barely recognizable than

just a few short years ago. there are crises everywhere. our border is under siege. inflation is at a near 40-year high. gas prices are through the roof. fertilizer and fuel prices are working a hardship on family farms here in iowa and indiana and all across the country. crime is skyrocketing in our major cities. real wages are falling and our national debt is piling up like a mountain range on our children and grandchildren. and that disastrous withdraw from afghanistan has emboldened the enemies of freedom around the world. and maybe worst of all, timeless american values are under assault every day. in classrooms our children are indoctrinated into radical ideologies and even taught to hate our history. from board room our faiths and beliefs are insulted routinely, government agencies target

concerned parents and punish consumers in the name of social justice. we're better than this. this country has been so good to my family and i've been honored to serve it. we both have. it would be easy to stay on the sidelines. that's not how i was raised. i've long believed to whom much is given, much will be required. that's why today, before god and my family, i'm announcing that i'm running for president of the united states of america. plays -- [ applause ] i know we can bring this country

back. we can defend our nation and secure our border. we can revive our economy and put our nation back on a path to a balanced federal budget. we can defend our liberties and give america a new beginning for life. but it will require new leadership in the white house and the republican party. the crises we face to borrow a phrase r all manmade, and that man is joe biden. so the first step to turning america around is ending this disastrous presidency, so here in iowa we must resolve the joe biden will never be re-elected as president of the united states! [ applause ]

we must elect a new republican president who will chart a course for our nation guided by our timeless principles. the bible says without a vision the people perish. and what's true of a people is also true of nations. ours will be a vision that's grounded in flooem. we will rebuild our military and make it fitted to the times to defend our freedom in an ever-more turbulent world. we will end political correctness at the pentagon and we will give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coast guard the support they need to defend this nation and come home safe. [ applause ]

here at home, we'll champion lower taxes. we'll extend the historic tax relief of the trump-pence administration an, and we'll give the people back to federal regulations for every new rule we put on the books. [ applause ] we'll end joe biden's trillion dollar spending spree that's driving inflation and making life more expensive for every american and set our nation back on a path to a balanced budget and make america's government follow the model of families by living within its means. we'll offer common sense and compassionate solutions to the debt crisis facing our children and grandchildren. and we'll free future generations from a mountain range of debt. we'll unleash american energy, open federal lands, and america

will become energy independent once again. [ applause ] we'll break the unholy alliance between wall street and big government that's forcing radical esg policies on the private sector and when i am president, american families will have a champion in the white house. we will give parents the freedom to choose where their children go to school. we will reject radical propaganda and we'll demand respect for our history and religious freedom. [ applause ] and as your president, i will appoint men and women to our federal courts who will uphold

all the god given liberties enshrined in our constitution, the first amendment, freedom of speech, religion, second amendment, right to keep and bear arms, and they will stand for the sanctity of human life. [ applause ] and in all this work, we will seek not divide the american people. instead, to appeal to the better angels of their nature. you know, calvin coolidge said once, it is a great advantage to a president and a major source of safety for the country, for him to know that he is not a great man. this i know. i must tell you, we as americans have had our fill of politicians

who present themselves as great men and women. the last place we ought to look for deliver rence is our government. what we seek is leaders with courage of their convictions and competence and character and we offer our services to all of you in that spirit. [ applause ] now, while some in this contest have taken to criticizing the record of the trump-pence administration, let me be clear, i'm incredibly proud of everything we accomplished for the american people. [ applause ] together in three short years we cut taxes, we destroyed isis, we stood with our allies and stood up to our enemies as never before. we made the strongest military in the history of the world, stronger than ever before.

we gave historic prosperity at home that lifted all americans, regardless of race or creed or color. we achieved energy independence. and maybe, and maybe most important of all, it was our administration that appointed three of the justices that sent roe versus wade to the ash heap of history where it belonged. [ applause ] we gave america a new beginning for life. now given our record, it might be fair to ask, why i'm challenging my former running mate? let me say from my heart, it begins with a promise that i made to the american people, to almighty god, and it ends with different visions for the

future. of our nation and our party. january 6th was a tragic day in the life of our nation. but thanks to the courage of law enforcement, the violence was quelled and we reconvened the congress the very same day to complete the work of the american people under the constitution of the united states. as i've said many times, on that fateful day, president trump's words were reckless. they endangered my family and everyone at the capitol. but the american people deserve to know that on that day president trump also demanded that i choose between him and the constitution. now voters will be faced with the same choice. i chose the constitution.

and i always will. [ applause ] four years earlier i swore an oath, a hand on my bible and ronald reagan's bible, to support and defend the constitution. the bible says he keeps his oath even when it hurts. and i know something about that. my son the marine once reminded me, you took the same oath i took, dad. so i did. let me explain. article 2 section 1 of the

constitution provides that the president of the senate, the vice president, shall, presence of the senate and the house, open all the certificates and the votes shall be counted. no more, no less. despite the fact that constitution's language is clear and provides the vice president with no authority to reject or return electoral votes, my former running mate continues to insist that i had the right to overturn the election. but president trump was wrong then and he's wrong now. i will always believe by god's grace i did my duty that day. i kept my oath to ensure the peaceful transfer of power under the constitution of the united states of america.

[ applause ] now, let me say from my heart that i understand the disappointment many still feel about the outcome of the 2020 election. i can relate. i was on the ballot. but i had no right to overturn the election, and kamala harris will have no right to overturn the election when we beat them in 2024. [ applause ] finally, let me say to my

countrymen, i'll always be grateful for what president trump did for this country. i've often prayed for him over the past few years. i prayed for him again today. i had hoped he would come around and see that he had been misled about my role that day. but that was not to be. so let me say, i stand before you today as a candidate for to the say to the republican party, the republican party must be the party of the constitution of the united states. [ applause ] we've had enough of the democrats and the radical left

repeatedly trampling on our constitution, threatening to pack the court, to dismantle the god-given rights that are enshrined there. we must stand on the constitution to protect the god-given right to life. we must stand on the constitution to protect the right to keep and bear arms, we must stand for the constitution to protect the right to live, work, to worship according to the dictates over faith and conscience. the american people must know, that leaders in the republican party will keep our oath to support and defend the constitution even when it's not in our political interest to do so. [ applause ] and one last word. the part that brings us here today. i believe that anyone who puts

themselves over the constitution should never be president of the united states, and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the constitution should never be president of the united states again. [ applause ] our liberties have been bought at too high a price. how can we ask our men and women in uniform, like the members of our family, to support and defend the constitution and not demand the same from those who would send them into battle? as your president, i promise you, bottom of my heart, i will always stand on the constitution of the united states and i will always stand with the men and women of the armed forces of the united states, so help me god. [ applause ]

so i said my reasons for being here begin with a day in the past, but elections are about the future. i believe different times call for different leaders, and my differences with my former running mate and others who are in this field, also have to do with the values and policies upon which we have built this movement and we'll build this movement for generations to come. you know when donald trump ran for president in 2016 he promised to govern as a conservative and together we did just that. today, he makes no such promise. after leading the most pro life administration in american history, donald trump and others in this race are retreating from the cause of the unborn, the

sanctity of life has been our party's calling for a half a century, long before donald trump was a part of it. now he treats it as an inconvenience even blaming our election losses in 2022 on overturning roe v. wade. as your president, i will always stand for the sanctity of life and i will not rest and i will not relent until we restore the sanctity of life to the center of american law in every state in the land. [ applause ] but it's not just values, but it's priorities. today we have a national debt the size of our nation's economy for the first time since the end of world war ii. we owe trillions of dollars to our adversaries. $860 billion to china alone.

the biggest drivers of runway spending are our new deal in society programs on which americans depend every day. social security and medicare. they make up 70% of the federal budget. what you deserve to know is that medicare has five years before it goes broke. social security has ten years if we're lucky. left unchecked and unreformed, it will mandate cuts in programs on which people depend. we're still, if we don't take the opportunity to reform these entitlements today, in 25 years, that $32 trillion will grow to $150 trillion. and crush the future of the american economy and opportunities for our children and grandchildren. now joe biden's policy is

insolvency, but you deserve to know that donald trump's position on entitlement reform is the same. both of them refuse to even talk about the issue or take it to the american people. addressing a looming debt crisis facing those little ones in the years ahead. it's apparently less important than their short-term political fortunes. as your president i promise you, i will tell the american people the truth about our debt crisis and we will offer common sense and compassionate reforms to save these programs for seniors today and give young americans a better deal tomorrow. [ applause ] finally, it's about america's place in the world and our responsibilities to speak in

freedom. america is the leader of the free world. we're the arsenal of democracy. as war rages in eastern europe and chinese military continues its provocation, even through this week against american warships and planes in the asia-pacific, donald trump and others who would seek the presidency would walk away from our traditional role on the world stage. russia invaded and waged war on a sovereign nation killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. its army targeted and tortured and destroyed hospitals and schools and left cities in rubble and continues today. president trump, he described vladimir putin as a genius at the outset of the invasion. another candidate for the

republican nomination described the invasion of ukraine as a, quote, territorial dispute. i must tell you a year ago, karen and i stood on the ukraine-poland border and went into a relief center and spoke with and embraced heartbroken families who were fleeing the violence. i promise you, i know the difference between a genius and a war criminal. i know the difference between a territorial dispute and a war of aggression. the war in ukraine is not our war, but freedom is our fight. america must always stand for freedom and when i'm your president, we will. [ applause ]

you know, what president trump and others are forgetting, is that our administration succeeded not because we compromised or abandoned conservative principles, but because we acted on them. i know we can beat joe biden. but we must resist the politics of personalty and the siren song of populism on conservative principles and must stand firm on a traditional republican agenda of a strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, and traditional values that led us to victory in the past and will lead us to victory again. [ applause ] so as republicans here in iowa

and across the country begin the process of choosing our standard bearer in 2024, one more reminder. we cannot expect to unite the nation around an agenda of a politics based on grudges and grievances. you know, joe biden promised to restore decency and civility if he was elected president. and he broke that promise on day one. he's continually vilified those of us who disagree with him. and even vilified members of his own party. you know, i believe that democracy depends on heavy doses of civility. traveling across this country the past two years, i've heard consistently from our fellow americans that they're looking for new leadership, but leadership that could unite our

country around our highest ideals and leadership that would respect the civility that most americans show one another every day. you know, after we moved back to indiana, i would like to say, you know, once you get 15 miles out of washington, d.c., the people of this country actually get along pretty well most days. our politics are more divided than ever before, but i'm not convinced our country is as divided as our politics. most americans treat each other with kindness and respect even when we disagree. we know how to be good neighbors. that's not too much to ask our leaders to do the same. but sadly, it's clear that neither joe biden or donald trump share this belief. and neither of them to intend to even try to bring our country together. i believe it's not just about

civility. to craft real solutions to the monumental challenges the american people are facing at home and abroad, we need leaders who will lead with respect for every american. [ applause ] winston churchill said once memorablebly you'll never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every barking dog. we need leaders who can distinguish between starting fights and finishing them. between the politics of outrage and standing firm. you know, i learned a long time ago that best way it fight and win for the american people is to stand your ground. in congress i stood against big

government republicanism, no child left behind, entitlement expansion and i led the fight against the wall street bailout. we face great pressure from a republican president at the time, but we stood firm. as indiana's governor we fought to cut taxes, to roll back regulation, expand educational choice, battled back against the teachers unions and i stood for religious liberty before the woke brigades long before woke was even a thing. as vice president, i stood by my president and our agenda in the face of withering media attacks every day. in indiana i stood my ground for the oath i take to the constitution. as your president, i will not yield an inch in defending america, our people, or our values, but i promise you, i

will do so in a way consistent with the character and decency of the american people. we will restore a threshold of civility in public life so we can bring real solutions to the challenges facing our nation. [ applause ] we gather today at a difficult point in the life of our nation. americans are frustrated and anxious. so much has been lost in such a short period of time. but despair is not in our nature. surrender is not in the american vocabulary. i love this country. i've dedicated my life to serving it. so i have a few things to ask.

first, i ask for your support. i believe in my heart that we can turn this country around. what we did once we will do again. but we had not long ago, we will have once more. but even better. secondly, i ask you to remember who we are. remember what we've done. a careful study of american history shows every time the american people have been called upon to do hard things, the american people have always risen to the challenge. we crossed the delaware river. we weathered the terrible winter at valley forge. we faced yorktown, made an empire wave a white flag. we wrote a constitution that changed the course of history. we held the hills of