Mike Pence shut down rumors that he is busy in preparations for running in the 2020 presidential election to challenge Donald Trump.
“The American people know that I could not be more honored to be working side by side with a president who is making America great again,” Pence stated.
Last week, a New York Times article speculated that Pence’s very busy political schedule is a sign of him preparing to run in the 2020 presidential elections. Pence tweeted from his official Twitter account and called the Times’ article absolutely “absurd,” “disgraceful” and “offensive.”
“Today’s article in the New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team,” Pence said. “The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration.”
The NY Times article stated:
”Mr. Pence has been the pacesetter. Though it is customary for vice presidents to keep a full political calendar, he has gone a step further, creating an independent power base, cementing his status as Mr. Trump’s heir apparent and promoting himself as the main conduit between the Republican donor class and the administration.”
Going against the judgement of his advisors and close confidants, Pence has formed his own fundraising operation, the Great American Committee. This PAC was set up with the help of former George W. Bush fundraising powerhouse Jack Oliver. So far, Pence’s political operation has raised more money than President Trump’s equivalent PAC, American First Action.
“Mr. Pence also installed Nick Ayers, a sharp-elbowed political operative, as his new chief of staff last month — a striking departure from vice presidents’ long history of elevating a government veteran to be their top staff member. Mr. Ayers had worked on many campaigns but never in the federal government.”
The article also mentioned figures such as Republican Sens. Ben Sasse (Neb.) and Tom Cotton (Ark.) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich who are actively laying the groundwork for a run in the 2020 presidential election. However, these candidates, “and their operatives have signaled that they are preparing only in case” President Trump decides not to run in the elections.
“Mr. Pence is methodically establishing his own identity and bestowing personal touches on people who could pay dividends in the future, he not only spoke in June at one of the most important yearly events for Iowa Republicans, Senator Joni Ernst’s pig roast, but he also held a separate, more intimate gathering for donors afterward,” the article further read.
Pence took down rumors as he argued that he has been dedicating his time to serving President Donald Trump and that Times’ is set on reporting “fake news.”
“Whatever fake news may come our way, my entire team will continue to focus all our efforts to advance the President’s agenda and see him re-elected in 2020. Any suggestion otherwise is both laughable and absurd,” Pence stated.
To hammer home his message even further, Kellyanne Conway, was deployed to personally deliver the message to the mainstream media that President Trump, “plans on being a two-term president.”
“The president says privately and publicly often, George that he’ll be there for seven and a half more years. So he plans on being a two-term president, “she stated on This Week on ABC.
Conway concluded, saying that she has “zero concern” about whether Pence is working on a campaign for himself and argued that all the rumors surrounding him running for president in 202 are a, “complete fiction.”
