In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash that aired Thursday taped at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA, Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence backed up his running mate Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a stronger leader than President Barack Obama.

Partial transcript as follows:

BASH: Do you personally think that Vladimir Putin is a stronger leader than the current president?

PENCE: I think it’s inarguable that Vladimir Putin has been a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country, and that’s going to change the day that Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America. I mean, look. You’ve seen incidents in this last week…

BASH: Obviously — I mean, I don’t need to tell you because you were in Congress. He has — Barack Obama has a true democracy here with the Congress that pushes back because there’s checks and balances. Vladimir Putin doesn’t have that.

PENCE: That’s exactly right. And Donald Trump…

BASH: So is it hard to say…

PENCE: And Donald Trump said last night, he doesn’t particularly like the system.