OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.

Former Fox News star Tucker Carlson began hosting a 2024 Republican presidential candidate forum on Friday and there were quite a few fireworks, including an exchange between him and former Vice President Mike Pence over the United States’ continued support for Ukraine.

The Biden administration, with bipartisan agreement in Congress, has been supplying Ukraine with so many American weapons that some weapons stocks are now running low.

But that’s not what Carlson honed in on: He rapped Pence over his unmitigated support for continuing to focus on Ukraine, perhaps at the expense of Americans and U.S. cities.

Here’s a partial transcript of the exchange (see video below):

TUCKER CARLSON: I’m sorry, Mr. Vice President, I know you’re running for president.

MIKE PENCE: Thanks for noticing.

TUCKER CARLSON: You are distressed that the Ukrainians don’t have enough American tanks? Every city in the United States has become much worse over the past three years. Drive around. There is not one city that’s gotten better in the United States. And it’s visible. Our economy has degraded, the suicide rate has jumped, public filth and disorder and crime have exponentially increased, and yet your concern is that the Ukrainians, a country most people can’t find on a map, who have received tens of billions of U.S. tax dollars, don’t have enough tanks?

I think it’s a fair question to ask: Where’s the concern for the United States in that?

MIKE PENCE: That’s not my concern. I’ve heard that routine from you before but that’s not my concern. I’m running for president of the United States because I think this country is in a lot of trouble. I think Joe Biden has weakened America at home and abroad. And as president of the United States we’re going to restore law and order in our cities. We’re going to restore law and order in our cities, secure our border, get this economy moving again, and we’re going to make sure that we have men and women on our courts at every level who will stand for the right to life and defend all the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution.

Anybody who says we can’t be the leader of the free world and solve our problems at home has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on Earth. We can do both. And as President of the United States, we will secure our border, support our military, revive our economy, and stand by our values, and we will also lead the world for freedom under my administration.

WATCH:

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Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.