Donald Trump and Mike Pence ran on the same ticket in 2016, and it went very well for them. In 2020, the country decided to go a different way, leaving them to pack up and remove themselves from the White House. How each of them handled their exodus created quite the rift.
Now, it seems that the 2024 ticket is going to look very different.
We already know that Mike Pence is running. He’s been campaigning HARD, and we haven’t even made it through the midterms yet.
Donald Trump has been holding more and more rallies and dinner parties, but he hasn’t quite come out and announced that he’s going to be running.
The stage has definitely been set for Trump and Pence to be running against each other in the GOP primaries for 2024. And Pence is taking a very unique approach as he seems to be following Trump around the country.
We’ve already seen how Trump has been endorsing a number of people in races that were heavily contested in 2020. And some have been doing extraordinarily well as a result of getting endorsed by Trump.
However, Trump isn’t the only one who holds some power. And, Trump isn’t a favorite everywhere he goes.
That’s where Pence comes in. He’s been endorsing the candidates that are running against those being endorsed by Trump.
Pence has recently thrown his support behind Karrin Taylor Robson, a Republican in the Arizona gubernatorial race. Meanwhile, Trump has thrown his support behind Kari Lake.
One thing to note is that Robson has also been endorsed by outgoing Arizona Governor, Doug Ducey.
Trump’s not a fan of Ducey, so he’d never endorse the same candidate. And the reason for all of the hostility is that Ducey refused to overturn the presidential election results in Arizona back in 2020.
Pence explained why he’s throwing his support behind Robson. “As Arizona Democrats pursue the reckless Biden-Harris agenda, Karrin Taylor Robson is the only candidate for Governor that will keep Arizona’s border secure and streets safe, empower parents and create great schools, and promote conservative values.”
That sounds like a pretty good reason to throw support behind someone…especially when you compare it to what Trump has said about the candidate he’s endorsing, “Few can take on the Fake News media like Kari.”
Pence has been making calculated moves like this for a while now. He rejects the picks backed by Trump and he works to affirm that the 2020 election was free and fair – which is something that many Americans depend on. It’s obvious that he doesn’t want to get in the middle of any of that.
Republicans and Democrats alike have been guilty of saying that an election was rigged. Nancy Pelosi said it when Trump won. Trump said it when Biden won, and even gubernatorial candidates have pointed the finger – with Democrat Stacey Abrams being one of the loudest.
Pence also backed Georgia Governor Brian Kemp while former Senator David Perdue was backed by Trump. And Kemp came out as the victor. Was it because of Pence’s endorsement? It’s certainly possible.
As CNN reported, it’s “remarkable” that Pence is the one emerging as the one who will stand up to Trump, particularly because “Pence spent four years as essentially Trump’s wingman.”
There’s no telling who Pence will endorse next…but it is likely going to be the opposite of whomever Trump endorses. We’ll just have to see how the two politicians’ schedules weave across one another.
A Trump versus Pence primary could be very exciting. Throw DeSantis into the mix and we might even have to pop some popcorn in anticipation of the debates.
