Remember when former Vice President Mike Pence was running for president? It might be difficult, considering he couldn’t break double digits during the Republican presidential primaries.

Nevertheless, Pence made headlines earlier this week when he announced that he was refusing to endorse former President Donald Trump for president even after he won the nomination. Now, Trump has responded, and it was pretty much what you might expect.

During a conversation with reporters, Pence’s comments were brought up. “I couldn’t care less,” Trump responded.

The former president continued:

We need patriots. We need strong people in our country. Our country is going downhill very fast, very rapidly. 

We need strong people in this country. We don’t need weak people.

President Trump on Mike Pence withholding his endorsement: “I couldn’t care less.” pic.twitter.com/cs8JTv2u7R

— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) March 19, 2024

On Friday, Pence made some waves during an appearance on Fox News in which he said he was withholding his endorsement.

“It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of the record of our administration. It was a conservative record that made America more prosperous, more secure and saw conservatives appointed to our courts in a more peaceful world.”

Despite the success, Pence also argued that his former boss “is pursuing and articulating an agenda that is at odds with the conservative agenda that we governed on during our four years.”

The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building was also an issue that drove a wedge between the two former allies.

During the primary campaign, Pence took several shots at the former president, focusing on his anti-interventionist stance on foreign policy, accusing him of “talking the language of appeasement in the face of Russian aggression in Eastern Europe and the war raging in Ukraine.”

Pence’s move is a significant break from tradition that draws even more attention to the deep rift in the GOP. It was more than simply a personal snub; it highlights the ongoing war between the GOP establishment and the populist wing of the party. Conservative voters made their choice clear during primary season when the former vice president failed to resonate with voters.

As the nation inches ever closer to November, Republicans face a critical moment in their history regardless of the outcome. This season could very well shape the makeup and trajectory of the party going forward as more Republican voters move further away from the days of the old guard. But the party’s changes up to this point reveal that the voters are ready for a new direction—and they want Trump to lead them there.

Typically, candidates will endorse the individual who receives the nomination, but it appears the former vice president is taking another route. However, even a cursory glance at the Republican political landscape supports Trump’s response: In actuality, the former president does not need Pence’s backing or endorsement.

See also:

Mike Pence Has a Plan to Halt Rise of 'Populism' in the GOP

Mike Pence Has One of the Worst Takes Ever When It Comes to the Hamas Attack