Mike Pence defends shutdown and says he can't guarantee there won't be another one

Mike Pence.
(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Vice President Mike Pence is defending the 35-day government shutdown ahead of a possible round two.

Pence was asked whether it was a mistake for President Trump to shut down the government in an attempt to obtain border wall funding, only to re-open the government without having done so, during a Wednesday appearance on CBS This Morning. "I never think it's a mistake to stand up for what you believe in," Pence responded.

The vice president went on to say that the administration only agreed to re-open the government for three weeks because they were told Democrats "were willing to work with us" and "we've taken them at their word." Should a funding agreement not be reached by Feb. 15, the government will shut down yet again, and Pence couldn't promise that this won't happen.

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"I think our hope is that there's not [another shutdown] but I can't make that guarantee," he said. Watch Pence's comments below. Brendan Morrow

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.