Vice President Mike Pence called the Black Lives Matter movement a "radical" organization that supports calls for violence, following weeks of protests demanding an end to systemic racism and police brutality.
When asked why he won't use the phrase "Black Lives Matter" on Sunday during CBS News's Face the Nation, Pence said he believes that all lives matter, including the unborn, and cited his anti-abortion stance. He also noted several calls from the movement with which he disagrees.
"What I see in the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement is a political agenda of the radical Left that would defund the police, that would tear down monuments, that would press a radical-left agenda, and support calls for the kind of violence that has beset the very communities that they say that they’re advocating for," he said.
The Black Lives Matter movement heightened in activity following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody last month. Protesters have been demanding justice for black Americans killed during interactions with law enforcement. Some demonstrations escalated into deeper movements calling for an end to memorials and monuments that honor figures with ties historical oppression or racism.
Pence also said he wants to help advance the black community, using Martin Luther King Jr. as his inspiration.
"I cherish the progress that we have made toward a more perfect union for African Americans throughout our history," he said. "And I’ve aspired throughout my career to be a part of that ongoing work. It’s really a hard issue for me."