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June 7 (UPI) -- Former vice president Mike Pence gave his most thorough rebuke of former President Donald Trump when he kicked off his presidential campaign in Iowa on Wednesday. Pence solidified his position as a conservative when he took to the podium in Ankeny, Iowa, while casting doubt on whether his former running mate remains aligned with conservatives on key issues.
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"When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, he promised to govern as a conservative, and together we did just that," Pence said. "Today, he makes no such promise."
The former vice president doubled down on his stance on abortion, which he has taken a hardline stance against. He suggested that Trump has abandoned his position on the issue, saying he treats it as an "inconvenience.
"Even blaming election losses in 2022 on overturning Roe v. Wade," Pence continued.
Regarding the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, Pence said Trump demanded he choose between him and the Constitution, speaking about Trump's suggestion that Pence could have refused to certify the election results.
Pence did not spare President Joe Biden from criticism. He said the current administration has weakened the position of the United States on the global stage and at the southern border.
"In many ways, our country has grown barely recognizable than just a few short years ago," he said. "There are crises everywhere."
He vowed to cut federal regulations, remarking that he would remove two for every one that is enacted. He said he would focus on cutting back on spending and balancing the federal budget. Pence also said he would open federal lands in the name of producing energy domestically and helping the nation become energy independent.
Pence filed the paperwork Monday, officially seeking the Republican nomination for President of the United States in next year's election. Wednesday was also Pence's 64th birthday.
The former Indiana governor spent the past weekend in Iowa, where he and wife Karen Pence attended a rally for a Republican Senate candidate.
Pence also is expected to participate in a town hall panel hosted by CNN Wednesday night.
"In 2024, I believe conservatives have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to renew the promise of America!" he tweeted Saturday, in a thread of campaign-style messages.
Pence, who served as the 48th vice president under Donald Trump, has sought to distance himself from the former president since leaving the White House.
Trump already has declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination.
The Justice Department recently cleared Pence of any wrongdoing after his attorneys found a dozen classified documents inside a box at his Indiana home.
