On Sunday's Face the Nation, vice president Mike Pence was asked by John Dickerson to say “Black Lives Matter.” Pence wouldn't.
“There's no excuse for what happened to George Floyd, but there's also no excuse for the rioting and looting and violence that ensued,” Pence began.
“You won't say [Black Lives Matter]. Why?” asked Dickerson.
“All my life I've been inspired by the example of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,” Pence stuttered. “I cherish the progress that we have made toward a more perfect union for African Americans throughout our history. And I've aspired throughout my career to be a part of that ongoing work. It's really a hard issue for me. And as a pro-life American, I also believe that all life matters, born and unborn.”
Added Pence: “What I see in the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement is a political agenda of the radical left that would defund the police, that would tear down monuments, that would press a radical left agenda, and support calls for the kind of violence that has beset the very communities that they say that they're advocating for.”
“So you won't say Black Lives Matter,” Dickerson pressed.
“John, I really believe that all lives matter,” Pence stated.
