NEW YORK – Former Vice president Mike Pence filed paperwork declaring his presidential campaign in 2024 on Monday, putting up a challenge against his former boss Donald Trump just two years after the end of their White House tenure with an insurrection in the U.S. Capitol, and Pence running for his life.
People familiar with Pence’s plans say that he will officially launch his Republican nomination bid with a event and video in Des Moines (Iowa) on his 64th birthday. He was to officially file his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis consistently polls in second place. Pence supporters, however, see an opportunity for a conservative with a track record who can be trusted to support many of the policies of the previous administration without the constant turmoil.
Pence has warned against the growing populist tide in the Republican Party. He is the only traditional, Reagan-style conservative in the race. Pence has warned against a growing populist wave in the party. Advisors view him as the sole traditional conservative of the race.
A staunch opponent of abortion rights, Pence supports a national ban on the procedure and has campaigned against transgender-affirming policies in schools. He argued for changes to Social Security, such as raising the eligibility age, to keep these programs solvent. Both Trump and DeSantis opposed this. DeSantis was also criticized for his growing feud with Disney. He has also said that the U.S. must offer more support to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.
Pence has spent the last few months laying groundwork for a possible run. He’s held events in early-voting states such as Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire. He also visited churches, delivered policy speeches, and courted donors.
Pence’s campaign team believes that Iowa and its evangelical Christian voter base are critical to Pence’s potential victory. Advisors say that he will campaign in Iowa aggressively, visiting all 99 counties of the state before next year’s first-in-the nation caucuses.
Pence’s campaign will rely heavily on townhalls and retail events to reintroduce him to voters who may only remember him as Trump’s second in command. Pence spent more than 10 years in Congress before being named Trump’s running-mate in 2016.
Pence was a loyal and devoted defender of Trump as vice president until the days before Jan. 6, 2021. Trump then falsely convinced Pence and supporters that Pence could unilaterally reverse the results of the election of 2020.
A mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building that day after Trump’s lies about the theft of the 2020 elections had fueled them. As Pence and his family fled to safety in a Senate load dock, many in the crowd shouted “Hang Mike Pence!”
Pence called Trump’s actions “dangerous” and said that the country was looking for new leadership at the 2024 elections.
He told The Associated Press recently, “I think we will have better options.” The American people want us back to the policies of Trump-Pence, but I believe they want leadership that reflects the character of American people.
Pence has spent his 2 1/2 years since then, strategically distancing him from Trump. He faces skepticism both from anti-Trump supporters who view him as too close with the former president and Trump loyalists. Many still blame him for not heeding Trump’s demand to overturn the two’s election loss, even though Pence was only in charge of counting the Electoral College votes, which were purely ceremonial, and he had no power to influence the results.
Pence joins an already crowded Republican field, which includes Trump, DeSantis and the former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley. Also included are U.S. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, Vivek RAMASWAMY, a tech entrepreneur, and the former Arkansas Governor. Asa Hutchinson. Former New Jersey Governor. Chris Christie will launch his campaign in New Hampshire on Tuesday evening. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will announce his bid Wednesday at Fargo. Doug Burgum is expected to announce his candidacy in Fargo on Wednesday.
Pence’s selection as Trump’s running mate helped to calm evangelical Christians and other Republicans who were skeptical of Trump as a reality star. Pence, as vice president, refused to criticize the former President publicly. He also played the role of an emissary to help translate Trump’s unconventional rhetoric and policy statements, especially on the international stage.
Trump and his team focused on the Jan. 6 date, the day that the joint session of Congress was scheduled to meet and formally certify the victory of President Joe Biden. Trump’s team engaged in a pressure campaign unprecedented at the time to convince Pence that he could throw out the electoral vote from the battleground states which Biden won.
The attack was captured on video footage, which shows rioters reading Trump’s words and the crowds chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” Outside the Capitol, a makeshift gallows is seen.
Pence said that Trump had “endangered me and my family that day and everyone in the Capitol” and that history would hold him accountable.
Pence, despite his horrific experience, resisted attempts to testify during investigations into Trump’s conduct on Jan. 6 and the days leading up to it. He refused to testify in front of the House Committee investigating the attack and fought the subpoena from the Special Counsel overseeing many Trump investigations. However, he eventually did testify before a Grand Jury.
Biden is one of only six former vice presidents to be elected into the White House. He is also running for a 2nd term.
