Pence criticizes DNC speeches as presenting "a grim vision for America"
Vice President Mike Pence criticized speeches at the Democratic National Convention this week as presenting "a grim vision for America."
"So many of the speeches at the Democratic National Convention were so negative," Pence told "CBS This Morning" co-host Tony Dokoupil on Friday. "They presented such a grim vision for America."
The speakers at the Republican National Convention next week, Pence said, will be talking about the administration's "record of results," which he said included rebuilding the military, cutting taxes and "a commitment to law and order."
He also specifically criticized Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden's speech, saying Biden "amazingly ... never mentioned the violence that has beset major cities across this country."
In his speech, Biden took aim at President Donald Trump without mentioning him by name. Biden said "the current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long" and portrayed his own candidacy as a "battle for the soul of the nation."
"We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided. A path of shadow and suspicion," Biden said. "Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light."
Biden also said "our economy is in tatters" and that "we will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with" the coronavirus.
Pence on Friday tried to counter Biden's criticism of the economic crisis the U.S. is facing amid the coronavirus pandemic. About 28 million people are receiving some sort of unemployment assistance as of this month, and jobless claims increased last week compared to the week before.
"Joe Biden said last night the economy's not going to come back until the coronavirus is over," he said. "Newsflash to Joe Biden – the economy is coming back. The only real threat to our economy is a Joe Biden presidency."
Dokoupil asked the vice president about the conspiracy theory QAnon, which Mr. Trump refused to refute earlier in the week.
When pressed to answer if he believes it, Pence said, "I don't know anything about that conspiracy theory. I don't know anything about QAnon. And I dismiss it out of hand."
