Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Aug. 18, 2019, that Vice President Mike Pence would remain his running mate when he seeks re-election as president in November 2020.
U.S. media, citing anonymous sources, reported that former President Trump is not considering partnering with Vice President Pence again in 2024, and Trump advisers denounced the fake news again.
Trump (Donald Trump) told allies that he is strongly considering running for president again in 2024 and that Trump’s close friends want him to choose someone else, not former Vice President Mike Pence, Bloomberg said Wednesday (March 3), citing sources familiar with the matter.
Two people familiar with the matter said Trump has privately discussed alternatives to Pence, taking stock of who stood with him at the end of his term and who did not.
A third person familiar with the matter said Trump’s advisers discussed identifying an African-American or female running mate for the next campaign and that Pence would likely not be on the ballot.
Two advisers suggested that Trump consider South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), these people said.
Trump issued a statement Tuesday (2) publicly endorsing South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R) for re-election. Scott is the only African-American Republican in the U.S. Senate.
Trump adviser rebuffs anonymous report that “it’s fake news”
Jason Miller, a senior adviser who has followed Trump, tweeted a direct rebuttal to the Bloomberg story, which came in its entirety from an anonymous source, writing, “This is fake news. No such discussions have taken place.”
Miller previously said Trump had not made a decision on whether to run in 2024.
The newspaper then cited sources with knowledge of the situation that appeared to be consistent with Miller’s claims. The newspaper said the source said the Trump team has not yet seriously considered a future vice presidential candidate; if he runs, Trump may not formally announce until the summer of 2023.
Former departing official says Trump-Pence split is good
Former White House communications director Alyssa Farah told Bloomberg Radio’s “Sound On” program that if Trump runs in 2024, choosing a female running mate may appeal to the voters he lost in 2020 and would be a good thing for Pence because Pence could break out and choose someone who shares his values and doesn’t have to be with someone who will say the wrong things to stop voters like Trump.
“It’s probably best for both of them,” Farah said.
Farah announced her resignation back on Dec. 3, described by the media at the Time as marking a tacit acknowledgement by Trump Administration officials that Trump was losing the election in 2020.
Behind the rumors of Trump-Pence discord
At a Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., Trump said he would win the 2020 election if Pence did the “right thing” and rejected the Electoral College votes in several swing states where there was widespread voter fraud.
After Pence’s rejection, Trump tweeted that Pence “doesn’t have the courage to do what should be done to protect our country and our Constitution. Twitter then deleted Trump’s tweets without warning and permanently froze Trump’s Twitter account.
Peter Navarro, a Trump supporter and former White House trade policy adviser, revealed after leaving office that Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, played a key role in preventing Pence from rejecting the Electoral College vote.
On Jan. 20, Pence and second lady Karen attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden, while Trump did not. Trump chose to return to his Sea Lake estate in Palm Beach, Florida, after delivering a brief farewell speech to a small group of supporters.
All of this has fueled speculation and rumors that the two men are at odds. However, Pence is said to have praised Trump in a recent meeting with Republican members of Congress.
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Okla.) told the Epoch Times in an emailed statement, “Vice President Pence made it very clear that he is proud of the accomplishments of the Trump administration and he praised President Trump and their relationship.” Banks was referring to Pence’s meeting with lawmakers.
Trump still active in politics, Pence wants to keep a low profile for now
While Trump did not formally announce his candidacy at CPAC on Sunday, his first public appearance since leaving office on Jan. 20, he did hint that he would likely run again.
According to a CPAC straw poll released Sunday, 55 percent of attendees believe Trump should be the Republican presidential nominee in 2024; he was followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who received 21 percent support, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who received 4 percent support.
Nearly 70 percent of survey respondents said they would like to see Trump run again in 2024, while 15 percent said they would not. Another 17 percent said they were unsure.
Trump’s nearly 90-minute speech at CPAC, in which he attacked Biden’s policies on immigration, transgender people and the delay in opening schools, signaled a break with the American political tradition in which former presidents usually wait months or years before they start criticizing their successors.
Pence had been invited to speak at CPAC, but weeks before the event he gave notice that he and his Family had decided to keep a low profile for the first half of the year. He is opening a transition office and plans to move back to Indiana this summer.
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