During an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, Vice President Mike Pence dodged several times when asked if he thought the United States was morally superior to Russia.

Pence denied Sunday that President Donald Trump‘s comments in an upcoming interview with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly defending Putin and saying America wasn’t that innocent represented “morally equivalency.”

“What you heard there was a determination to attempt to deal with the world as it is,” Pence said. “Let’s start afresh with Putin, and start afresh with Russia.”

“Do you think America is morally superior to Russia?” asked host John Dickerson.

Pence gave a long response that avoided answering the question: “What we have in this new president is someone who is willing to engage the world, including Russia, and saying where can we find common interests that will advance the security of the American people, the peace and prosperity of the world, and he is determined to come at that in a new and renewed way.”

“But is America morally superior to Russia, yes or no?” asked Dickerson again.

“I believe the ideals that America has stood for throughout our history represent the highest ideals of humankind,” Pence said, again failing to answer the question.

Dickerson wouldn’t let it end there. “Shouldn’t we be able to just say yes to that question?” he asked. “That America is morally superior to Russia?”

Pence finally said that American ideals were superior to at least some countries, while not naming Russia. “I think it is without question, John… that American ideals are superior to countries all across the world,” he concluded.

Watch above, via CBS News.

[Image via screengrab]

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