Mike Pence addresses viral quip about sleeping with his wife: 'I'm just so proud'
Pence charges 'that not only Donald Trump but other candidates on that stage are walking away' from former President Reagan's 'conservative agenda'
Mike Pence on his ‘sleeping with a teacher’ debate moment tells Fox News he and his wife are 'a team...i coudn't do it without her'
Former Vice President Mike Pence, speaking with Fox News Digital after the second GOP debate, charges "that not only Donald Trump but other candidates on that stage are walking away from elements of that conservative agenda."
It was one of the most talked about moments during the second Republican presidential nomination debate.
During a discussion about eduction policy at the FOX Business co-hosted showdown at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, former Vice President Mike Pence quipped that he has "been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years."
Following the debate, the former vice president told Fox News Digital that he is "so proud" of his wife Karen Pence's career in the classroom and that they closely work together "as a team."
The viral moment began when former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — one of the seven Republican White House contenders on the stage Wednesday night — argued that "the public school system is no longer run by the public. It is run by the teachers unions in this country."
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Pence attempt at 'full disclosure' joke falls flat
Former Vice President Mike Pence attempts to make a joke about having a wife as a teacher.
"And when you have the President of the United States sleeping with a member of the teachers union, there is no chance that you can take the stranglehold away from the teachers union every day," Christie added, in reference to President Biden's wife, first lady Jill Biden.
Pence then responded, saying "I want to answer the question as well that you just asked because by way of full disclosure, Chris, you've mentioned the president's situation."
"My wife isn't a member of the teachers union, but I got to admit, I have been sleeping with a teacher for 38 years — full disclosure," Pence said before discussing his education policy.
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Pence's line did not grab much reaction or response from the audience in the debate hall, and it appeared to fall flat based on reaction on social media and the cable news networks.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and former second lady Karen Pence are interviewed by Fox News Digital, in the spin room following the second GOP presidential nomination debate, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, o (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser / Fox News)
In the spin room following the debate, Pence told Fox News Digital that his wife and former second lady "flew all the way from the East Coast to be with me tonight, and I couldn’t do it without her."
"I’m just so proud of her career, not only in the classroom but also as the first lady of Indiana and second lady of the United States. Whatever we do, we do as a team," Pence said.
Pence used the debate to once again take aim at some of his rivals — including former President Trump — for distancing themselves from the traditional conservative values and principles espoused by former President Reagan, an icon for the right, as they push a populist agenda.
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"We came to make our case that I think this is a Republican time for choosing. We’re here at the Reagan Library. Ronald Reagan personified and minted a movement that’s defined the Republican Party for the last 50 years," Pence said after the debate.
Additionally, he emphasized that "I wanted people to know that not only Donald Trump but other candidates on that stage are walking away from elements of that conservative agenda."
"But I’m the most consistent conservative in this race. I want people to know that if you’re with me. If you believe the way forward for America is to stand on that time honored conservative agenda, then I’m your man," Pence said.