Tucker Carlson grilled former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday for his support for Ukraine despite the war-torn nation’s reported persecution of Christians within the country.
During The Blaze Media Summit, Carlson noted Pence’s recent visit to Ukraine and asked the former vice president if he brought up the country’s persecution of Christian leaders to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Pence explained that the leader of the Orthodox Church in the country “assured” him there was no religious persecution occurring.
“I did raise the issue when we were there. And I raised it with the leader of the Orthodox Church when I was visiting Kyiv, and I asked him about concerns about religious liberty,” Pence told Carlson, continuing:
He assured me that the Zelensky Government in Ukraine was respecting religious liberty, even while recognizing that there were very small elements of the Russian Orthodox Church that were being utilized for the purpose of advancing the Russian cause in Ukraine.
Heated Exchange Between Tucker Carlson And Mike Pence On Religious Liberty In Ukraine
Tucker: “I would think that you would have greater concern for religious liberty in Ukraine, and I’m surprised by your answer.”
Pence: “I told you I raised the issue of religious liberty.”… pic.twitter.com/MIQckt2jm4
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) July 14, 2023
Carlson then asked Pence how “a Christian leader could support the arrest of Christians for having different views.”
Carlson asked:
I’m confused on this question. It’s very clear that the Zelensky government has arrested priests for having views they disagree with; that’s not consistent with religious liberty. It’s an attack on it. And we’re funding it, and I’m just wondering, how is it — and I don’t mean to be disrespectful at all — but I sincerely wonder how a Christian leader could support the arrest of Christians for having different views?
Pence again reiterated his position based on what Ukrainian religious leaders told him.
“What I can tell you is I asked the Christian leader in Kyiv if that was, in fact, happening, and he assured me that it was not,” Pence responded. “People were not being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Let me take a break here. I know we disagree on this strongly, but I respect your right to your opinion on Ukraine, and I trust you’ll respect mine.”
Republican presidential candidate former Vice President Mike Pence fields questions from former Fox News Television personality Tucker Carlson at the Family Leadership Summit on July 14, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
When Carlson followed up on the subject again, Pence said, “The problem is you don’t accept my answer.”
Pence added:
I just told you that I asked the religious leader in Kyiv if it was happening. You asked me if I raised the issue, and I did. I also raised it with the Ukrainians, and I was told that there are religious leaders who have been working with the Russian military that is murdering people by the thousands.
“I would think you would have greater concern for religious liberty in Ukraine, and I’m surprised,” Carlson said before Pence interrupted him, saying, “I told you I raised the issue of religious liberty.”
“No, you spoke to one person who’s clearly on one side of it. And there are many, many news reports that are not disputed by anybody that many clergy have been arrested in Ukraine, and I’m merely saying I may not agree with their views,” Carlson said. “I’m not Russian Orthodox, but you can’t arrest clergy for having different views, period. Because if you do, you violate the basic tenant of religious liberty.”
“Look, I want to be clear with you. I won’t stand by it. I won’t stand for it. And people are being persecuted for their religious beliefs,” Pence remarked. “I won’t stand for it. In any country our nation is supporting, or our allies are supporting, period.”
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.