Former Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) said he tanked his career when he turned against former President Donald Trump.
On Friday’s CNN NewsNight, Walsh discussed former Vice President Mike Pence declining to endorse Trump earlier in the day. Pence, who served under Trump for four years, told Fox News, “I will not be endorsing Donald Trump.”
The announcement drew widespread praise from anti-Trump commentators, but not everyone was impressed.
“Joe, hearing Mike Pence say this out loud, what do you think?” Abby Phillip asked Walsh. Is this something that is an important moment for this country?”
“This is a really big deal,” he replied. “I can’t emphasize this enough. As a Republican, if you publicly oppose Trump, you’re done as a Republican. When I came out six years ago and publicly stood against Donald Trump, I took a blowtorch to my career, but I also knew I could never, ever run as a Republican again. Mike Pence today just did that.”
Walsh, who served in Congress before Trump was elected, was an ardent supporter of the former president, whom he now regularly rails against. The former House member said he believes Pence still has political ambitions and that the former veep knows that “he can never run again as a Republican.”
Phillip seemed incredulous.
“Do you think he’s actually closing the door on running as a Republican again?” she inquired.
“I think he’s closing the door on running as a Republican,” Walsh insisted. “And Abby, if he’s not, he’s smoking something because he’ll never– look, he and I are the same age. In our lifetime, this Republican Party is not gonna change. This will never be Mike Pence’s Republican or Joe Walsh’s Republican Party again.”
Watch above via CNN.
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