Donald Trump (left), Mike Pence.Photo: Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty; Alex Wong/Getty
Former Vice PresidentMike Penceelicited laughs this week when asked whether he’d vote forDonald Trump— a man whom he once helped propel to the presidency — in 2024.
Speaking to students during a Q&A at Georgetown University, Pence, 63, hesitated — but with a smile — when asked, “If Donald Trump is the nominee for president in 2024, will you vote for him?”
He continued: “What I can tell you is I have every confidence that the Republican Party will sort out leadership. All my focus has been on the midterm elections and it’ll stay that way for the next 20 days. After that, we’ll be thinking about the future — ours and the nations. I’ll keep you posted.”
Since leaving the White House in the shadow of the January insurrection, Pence’s public appearances have led to continued speculation thathe might be planning a run for the presidency.
If he does, it could potentially pit him against Trump, who has not formally announced his own 2024 run, but has openly flirted with the idea of running a third time.
The former president has already said he would not select Pence as his running mate again, tellingtheWashington Examinerin a September interview, “I don’t think the people would accept it.”
Ina statementpublished hours before thedeadly riotat the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Pence explained he had no authority to try and overturn the votes — a move that angered Trump, who took to Twitter to say Pence “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”
Some of the rioters at the Capitol fed on Trump’s anger and chanted about wanting to “hang” Pence, forcing the vice president and at least some of his entourage to bemoved to an undisclosed location. Trump later said the chants about hanging Pencewere “common sense"because “the people were very angry.”
Pence ultimately did affirm the results for Biden — once lawmakers were able to reenter the building after the mob was cleared — andhas since calledJan. 6 “a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol.”
Trump, meanwhile, has continued insisting he won the election and criticizing his former running mate for failing to overturn the results.
“Mike and I had a great relationship except for the very important factor that took place at the end,” Trump told theExaminerin his earlier interview. “I haven’t spoken to him in a long time.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.
Pence is weeks away fromdebuting a memoir titledSo Help Me God, which publishes on Nov. 15, and according to publisher Simon & Schuster it will chronicle “Trump’s severing of their relationship on Jan. 6, 2021, when Pence kept his oath to the Constitution.”
The release of Pence’s memoir — which will come one week after the midterm elections — further heightens the suspicions that the former vice president is mulling a run for the presidency.
source: people.com
