Pence pours water on rumour he wants presidency
MIKE PENCE, the US vice president, has angrily dismissed reports he is preparing a presidential run for 2020 as “absurd” and “offensive” insisting that he is focused on ensuring Donald Trump is re-elected.
The New York Times yesterday reported that leading Republicans have begun making visits to Iowa, one of the states crucial to securing the party’s presidential nomination, and that Mr Pence has established his own fundraising committee.
However, he rejected the suggestion that he was running a shadow campaign as “fake news”.
“The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this administration,” he said.
Mr Trump has made no suggestion he will not run for a second term. And it is extremely rare for members of a president’s party – let alone his own vice president – to begin preparing for that possibility after only six months. But some Republicans have made little secret of their wish to find an alternative candidate even if Mr Trump stands again. The president’s legislative agenda has stalled, his administration is dogged by questions about its relations with Russia, and his approval ratings stand at less than 40 per cent.
Figures who were part of the Never Trump campaign to deny him the 2016 nomination have begun organising a fresh push. Bill Kristol, editor-at-large of the conservative Weekly Standard, told The New York Times he is canvassing support for a “Committee Not to Renominate the President”.
High-profile senators such as Ben Sasse and Tom Cotton have made visits to Iowa, while others are courting key donors.
For his part, Mr Pence has set up the Great America Committee, a political fundraising group.
But Kellyanne Conway, White House counselor, dismissed speculation of a shadow campaign, saying Mr Trump was intent on being a two-term president.
“It is absolutely true that the vice president is getting ready for 2020 – for re-election as vice president,” she told ABC’S This Week.