The VP is staring at a deadlier phase of a pandemic and a Senate race that could reverse years of his work. He’ll have to get through Trump first.
For four years, Vice President Mike Pence has faced one sweeping loyalty test after another. This time, allies are questioning whether there should be a limit to his fealty.
As President Donald Trump pushes to overturn the election outcome and pressures Republicans not to recognize President-elect Joe Biden as the next commander in chief, Pence is facing pressure from allies to put country and party first — even if they collide with the inclinations of his boss.
The head of the White House’s coronavirus task force since the early weeks of the pandemic, Pence could be warning the public about an explosion of coronavirus cases and steering administration officials toward a more robust response to the pandemic — something Trump does not want his government dwelling on. The vice president also could spend more time promoting a pair of GOP senators in special-election races that are likely to determine the balance of power in the Senate — but part of that message rests on acknowledging Trump won’t hold the White House. And Pence, who has long harbored presidential ambitions of his own, might at this moment have his eyes on a 2024 Republican primary — but can’t do that with Trump in the way.
It’s an unusual bind for a vice president who has always been known for coming to Trump’s aid. “At some point, he will have to prioritize his own interests,” said a Republican close to Pence.
What comes after January for Pence is as unknown to the vice president himself as it is to those around him. He doesn’t own a home in Washington or Indiana, where he served as governor before joining the GOP presidential ticket in 2016, and his closest friends aren’t yet sure whether and to where he might relocate. One person familiar with his thinking said Pence is likely to spend the next two years raising money for his own political apparatus if he does launch a White House bid in 2024, delivering paid speeches and assisting GOP House and Senate candidates in the 2022 midterm cycle, all from a home base located back in the Midwest. Pence created his own PAC called the Great America Committee early on in his tenure as vice president and is expected to use it as a vehicle for fundraising between now and 2022.
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Should Trump launch a campaign for a non-consecutive second term — something he’s privately mused about, according to a person familiar with the discussions — allies of the vice president believe he will sit out the next presidential cycle unless he’s on the ticket again himself.
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Since Election Day, Pence has put noticeable distance between himself and the Trump campaign’s legal campaign to reverse the election results. While the vice president’s name has been attached to fundraising emails for the president’s legal fund, Pence and his top aides have avoided echoing the president’s claim to victory outright. His spokespeople have also been quiet on Twitter, declining to use their personal accounts to elevate baseless allegations of ballot fraud that senior Trump aides have circulated on social media.
But he’s tried to stay somewhat close to the line in speeches to GOP groups.
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For the two months between now and Inauguration Day, Pence allies expect the vice president to pour his time and energy into the government’s coronavirus response, particularly amid a spike in hospitalization rates across the U.S.
The vice president will also visit Georgia this week to boost Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, both of whom are facing run-off contests in January that will determine whether Biden will face a divided Congress as president.
Even with 2024 hanging in the balance, Pence allies say he has continued to demonstrate a commitment to Trump by working to ensure the president receives credit for key accomplishments even as the spotlight shifts to Biden.
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For four years, Vice President Mike Pence has faced one sweeping loyalty test after another. This time, allies are questioning whether there should be a limit to his fealty. https://t.co/sFBDg2X5jX
— POLITICO (@politico) November 17, 2020Really????? Pence was never anything but a prop. Trump was always in charge. He hasn’t exactly exhibited leadership qualities.
“The head of the White House’s coronavirus task force since the early weeks of the pandemic, Pence could be warning the public about an explosion of coronavirus cases and steering administration officials toward a more robust response to the pandemic —”
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