Guest post by The Blue State Conservative:
Donald Trump, despite staying mum on an official decision and announcement for the hotly-anticipated 2024 presidential content, nevertheless continues to drop hints and clues about his political future. In his recent interview with the Washington Examiner, Trump conceded that he at least had eliminated one potential running mate.
Coming as a shock to few, the former president suggested that returning to the campaign trail with former vice president Mike Pence would be too much of an obstacle for his MAGA following.
Considering the idea of Pence running alongside him again, Trump commented, “I don’t think the people would accept it.”
You got that right. Mike Pence refused to entertain the slightest notion that something amiss might have occurred on or after election day. Countless irregularities, near-statistical impossibilities, and scores of anecdotes (since followed up on by the fantastic documentary 2000 Mules) did not sway the former vice president to listen to concerns.
Trump elaborated on his point, saying he was “disappointed in Mike” after he did not contest the feverishly debated validity of the results of the 2020 presidential election during Congress’ official count of Electoral College votes on January 6th, which Trump urged him to do.
“Mike thought he was going to be a human conveyor belt, that no matter how fraudulent the votes, you have to send them up to the Old Crow,” Trump went on to say, referring to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s nickname.
Pence has only further stained his credibility with the America-First movement. Many of his endorsements have gone for perceived “establishment candidates” whereas Trump has endorsed those whom stand for his own MAGA values. The Arizona gubernatorial primary is a perfect example of that; Trump backed the winning Kari Lake against Pence’s spineless RINO Karrin Robson. Pence also backed Brian Kemp in Georgia, a victor over Trump’s pick of former Senator David Purdue.
The Hill then wrote that Pence has done more as of late to distance himself from Trump, whom he might even consider a potential rival in the GOP presidential primaries, and the 2020 election conversation. The Hill said:
“Pence broke with Trump during a Federalist Society event last month where he said that Trump’s assertion that Pence had a right to contest the election results was “wrong.”
“President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election,” Pence said. “The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone. Frankly, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president.”
Further illustrating the growing divide, Pence told Republican National Committee donors earlier this month that “There is no room in this party for apologists for Putin” after Trump praised Putin as a “genius” and “pretty savvy” amid the invasion of Ukraine.”
Not having Mike Pence would be a great start for Trump. He could then make sure to avoid any and all RINO losers in D.C. and build a truly marvelous coalition of new-age conservative leaders.
