Former Vice President Mike Pence is back within the highlight as he promotes his recent memoir, offering fresh insights on his relationship with former President Trump and his own political ambitions.
Pence’s recent book was released on Tuesday, with much of the main target centering on the rift between he and Trump in the times before and after the Jan. 6, 2021, riots on the Capitol. Pence has since conducted nearly 30 interviews, giving a window into his time within the White House and his plans for the long run.
Listed here are five takeaways from Pence’s recent book release and accompanying media blitz.
Pence is seriously considering a 2024 bid
The previous vp used a series of interviews and media appearances within the wake of his book release to hint at a possible presidential campaign of his own.
“I feel the American persons are on the lookout for leadership that may unite our country, around our most timeless values and ideals, and show the sort of civility and respect that Americans show each other daily,” Pence said in a CNN town hall event on Thursday.
“And so, we’ll take time, at the top of the yr. We’ll get prayerful consideration to what role we might need. But I promise you, Jake, I’ll keep you posted,” he continued. “And we’ll stay within the fight for our values, and do all the things, in our part, to strengthen and serve the country we love. So help us God.”
When asked if he would support Trump as a 2024 nominee, Pence quipped in multiple recent appearances that he has another person in mind, a tongue-in-cheek nod to his own possible ambitions.
Pence has taken steps typically related to someone enthusiastic about a presidential campaign in recent months, visiting early primary states like Iowa, Recent Hampshire and South Carolina, and launching his own policy group.
But his comments within the wake of the book release are a more concrete sign that Pence views himself as a presidential contender, no matter what Trump does.
Pence thinks the GOP should move on from Trump
Whether or not Pence himself runs, the previous vp has made it clear through interviews in recent days that he doesn’t imagine Trump ought to be the party’s standard-bearer moving forward.
“I feel, in the times ahead, whatever role I and my family play within the Republican Party, whether it’s as a candidate or just a component of the cause, I feel we could have higher selections … than my old running mate,” Pence told CNN.
It was a line Pence utilized in several interviews on his post-book release media blitz, telling ABC News, The Recent York Times and others that he felt there could be “higher selections” than Trump.
Pence has made clear that he doesn’t agree with Trump’s fixation on the 2020 election, arguing GOP candidates who focused on past grievances didn’t fare as well within the midterms as those that presented a forward-looking agenda.
And the previous vp has in recent days asserted the American public is on the lookout for more civil discourse and candidates who embody the country’s values, a swipe at Trump’s divisive and incendiary rhetoric directed toward his opponents and critics, including, at times, Pence.
But he won’t back away from Trump’s record
Pence’s book details how he and Trump went their “separate ways” over Trump’s fixation on the 2020 election and his conduct around Jan. 6, when Pence needed to be evacuated from the Senate chamber.
But much of his book and the accompanying press tour has shown that Pence is pleased with his time within the administration outside of the roughly two months following the 2020 election, and he’s glad to embrace his connection to Trump for much of their 4 years together.
“I hope folks that take a have a look at this book also see that it’s been described as probably the most fulsome defense of the record of the Trump-Pence administration that’s in print,” Pence said at an event on Thursday on the Reagan Library in California, saying he “couldn’t be more proud” to have been vp given the administration’s economic, energy and foreign policy accomplishments.
“We completed things that conservatives have been talking about for generations,” Pence added.
Pence is attempting to thread the needle with the GOP base
The previous vp has made it clear that as he mulls his future, he’s going to try to string a really difficult needle, appealing each to Trump supporters and people able to move on from the previous president.
Pence has been asked mostly in regards to the events surrounding Jan. 6. He has in recent interviews called Trump’s conduct “reckless,” said the previous president was a part of the issue on Jan. 6 and spoken about how the party should move on from Trump in 2024.
At the identical time, Pence is reluctant to criticize Trump’s other behavior. In his book, Pence defends Trump over his response to the Charlottesville, Va., white supremacist rally, his handling of the coronavirus pandemic when he used briefings to spar with the press and attack local leaders, and his walk to St. John’s Church near the White House after protesters were forcibly cleared from the world.
“Mike Pence is twisting himself into pretzels as he attempts to remake his image — but the reality is that irrespective of how desperately he tries to have it each ways on Trump’s brand of MAGA extremism, he’s still doused in it,” the Democratic National Committee said in a news release.
Republican strategists and former Trump administration officials have argued for months that Pence was a loyal sidekick for 4 years with conservative bona fides, but that he would struggle to win over Trump’s devoted base in a possible primary because they view his decision to certify the 2020 election as a betrayal, even when he had no grounds to do otherwise.
Polls have typically shown Pence trailing Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in a hypothetical 2024 primary.
“If decency and kindness matters, Mike Pence will likely be a serious contender,” said David Urban, who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign. “But politics is lots greater than that.”
Pence will remain in the general public eye
Pence appears poised to make use of his book release and subsequent media blitz as a jumping off point to stay in the general public eye because the 2024 Republican primary field takes shape.
A spokesperson for Pence said the previous vp had conducted 27 media interviews within the 48 hours after his book was released last Tuesday.
The previous vp was in Nevada over the weekend for the Republican Jewish Coalition gathering in Las Vegas, which was also attended by prospective 2024 candidates like former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump addressed the event virtually.
Pence has additional interviews scheduled for after Thanksgiving, and a spokesperson said Pence will likely be doing a speaking tour next yr with stops at various megachurches across the country.
