Pence appears to swipe at Trump, saying they may not differ in issues but 'may differ on focus'

Then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-President Donald Trump in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Evan Vucci/AP

• Mike Pence said he and Trump may "differ on focus" even as they agree on issues.
• In separate Tuesday speeches, Pence said the GOP should look forward while Trump focused on 2020.
• A rift emerged as Trump urged Pence to nullify Biden's win and Capitol rioters chanted "hang Mike Pence."

Former Vice President Mike Pence appeared to take a swipe at former President Donald Trump on Tuesday, saying the two men "'may differ on focus" even if they don't differ on issues.

Pence was speaking at the conservative Young America's Foundation in Washington, DC, where he was asked if there was a split between him and Trump and if that was heating up in the Republican Party, CBS News reported.

"I couldn't be more proud of the record of the Trump-Pence administration," he said, saying it advanced its policies "without apology."

"So, I don't know that our movement is that divided. I don't know that the president and I differ on issues, but we may differ on focus," he said.

He added that elections are "about the future" and that the US should "not give away to the temptation to look back."

Trump and Pence have taken different approaches since Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden.

Pence has repeatedly said the GOP should move on from the loss.

Trump, in contrast, has often repeated old grievances and conspiracy theories about the election.

That difference was on show on Tuesday, as Trump gave a speech on the same night.

Trump, speaking to the America First Policy Institute in Washington, DC, repeated his baseless claims about voter fraud and the 2020 election.

The split between Trump and Pence go back to the Capitol riot. In the days leading up to it, Trump and his allies pressured Pence to reject the Electoral College vote and overturn Biden's election win — a move that Pence did not have the power to do.

Some rioters then called for Pence's death inside the Capitol, chanting "hang Mike Pence." 

Pence has downplayed that experience, but has made it clear that he talks to Trump less often. A recent report by Axios' Jonathan Swan said Trump's inner circle now labels Pence an "enemy."

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