Watch Mike Pence throw Trump under the bus on CNN: 'I haven't known him that long at all'
Mike Pence (CNN)

Mike Pence denied knowing Donald Trump very well in a painful CNN interview as he stood in front of the actual bus that he figuratively threw his running mate beneath.

CNN's Chris Cuomo grilled the Republican vice presidential candidate, who for the second time this week refused to defend Trump's campaign promise to ban Muslims from the United States.

"Before you were his nominee, governor, you said that -- you said Trump is wrong about categorically saying Muslims can't get in this country," Cuomo said. "Why not just own your own truth on those situations?"

The Indiana governor dissembled, saying he was "very humbled" that "some people think I won the debate."

"I do think that whatever I was able to do the other night, Donald Trump won the debate," Pence said, dodging the question. "Donald Trump's vision to make America great again won the debate."

He said he was honored to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Trump and "address those very same questions," and he offered a tepid defense of his running mate's proposed Muslim ban.

"Donald Trump and I have been very clear about suspending immigration from countries that have been compromised by terrorism or some of these other issues," said Pence, from a campaign stop in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Pence said the immigration policy was intended to "put the security of the American people first," but Cuomo refused to let him wriggle off the hook.

"But, governor, that is a finessed position," Cuomo said. "We both know that where he started was saying that there is a problem with Islam, that Muslims should be kept out of the country. You condemned those comments, and you did so strongly as the governor of Indiana when you were backing Ted Cruz. You said we can't say that when he said what he said about Judge (Gonzalo) Curiel, not making it about the case but about his ethnicity, you condemned those comments. Why do you not condemn them now?"

Pence denied that those widely reported statements were Trump's actual positions, and he chuckled as he denied even knowing the GOP nominee well enough to comment.

"Look, you've known him for a long time, Chris -- I haven't known him that long at all," Pence said.

The vice-presidential candidate cited Trump's business record, although he admitted newly revealed tax records show his running mate had to mount "an incredible comeback" 20 years ago, and then praised Trump for saying some of the things he denied the existence of during Tuesday's debate.

"In Donald Trump, you have someone that has been willing to speak his mind," Pence said. "He's spoken about the frustrations and the aspirations of the American people, and I'm proud to stand with him as he talks about ending illegal immigration once and for all."

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