Pence does not rule out 2024 White House bid in new interview

Former Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday declined to rule out a potential bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, saying that he and his family will “consider how we might participate in that process” when the time is right.

Asked in an interview by Fox Business’s Maria Bartiroma whether he wants former President Donald Trump to run again in 2024 and if he is interested in a future leadership role, Pence demurred, saying that his focus is on the 2022 midterm elections and helping Republicans reclaim their majorities in the House and Senate.

“You know, all of my focus right now is on 2022. I think we have a historic opportunity to reclaim majorities in the House and the Senate and to elect great Republican governors around America,” Pence said. 

“And in 2023, I’m confident the Republican Party will nominate a candidate who will be the next President of the United States of America,” he added. “And at the right time, my family and I will reflect and consider how we might participate in that process.”

Pence has taken on a more active role in politics in recent weeks as he looks to position himself for a potential 2024 White House run. 

Speaking to donors over the weekend, he took a thinly veiled shot at Trump over the former president’s apparent praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “genius” for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin.”

And on Monday, the advocacy group founded by Pence, Advancing American Freedom, announced a $10 million ad campaign targeting 16 House Democrats ahead of their November reelection bids.

The recent moves by the former vice president, combined with his comments to Fox Business on Tuesday, are likely to fuel speculation that Pence is moving closer to a White House bid in 2024 – a campaign that could put him in direct competition with Trump, who is also believed to be eyeing another campaign. 

Pence could face an uphill battle if he jumps into the 2024 presidential race. For one, Trump commands the loyalty of the GOP’s conservative base and has hammered Pence for refusing to block the congressional certification of the 2020 electoral vote.

At the same time, early polling shows Pence trailing some of his would-be rivals for the Republican nod. A Yahoo News! Poll conducted late last month found the former vice president notching only 8 percent support in a hypothetical primary field, behind both Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.