Pressed again on Sunday to explain why he will not say the words “Black lives matter,” Vice President Mike Pence instead pivoted to tell Face the Nation host John Dickerson how much he values the lives of unborn fetuses.

“I cherish the progress that we have made toward a more perfect union for African Americans throughout our history. And I’ve aspired throughout my career to be a part of that ongoing work,” Pence said on Sunday. “It’s really a heart issue for me. And as a pro-life American, I also believe that all life matters, born and unborn.”

The vice president went on to attack the Black Lives Matter movement for promoting 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.”

“So you won't say Black lives matter?” Dickerson asked.

“John, I really believe that all lives matter,” Pence replied.