Former Vice President Mike Pence is not ruling out a 2024 bid for president just yet, revealing on Tuesday that he will “reflect and consider” on how he “might participate” in the election following the 2022 midterms.
“All my focus right now is on 2022,” Pence told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday. “I think we have a historic opportunity to reclaim majorities in the House and Senate, to elect great Republican governors around America 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 and at the right time, my family and I will reflect and consider how we might participate in that process.”
Pence’s comments came after Bartiromo asked the former vice president if he wants to see former President Donald Trump run again.
“But now more than ever, with war in Europe and with an administration seemingly intent on weakening our country, driving our nation toward a European-style welfare state, we need strong Republican majorities on Capitol Hill and strong Republican governors and that’s what we are going to work to achieve,” Pence added, later urging stronger sanctions against Russia.
The former vice president has recently stepped back into the political spotlight, speaking at a fundraiser with the GOP’s top donors in New Orleans last week.
During the event, Pence urged fellow Republicans to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, saying “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin.”
Since they left office, Pence has distanced himself from Trump in light of repeated false claims of voter fraud and that the former vice president had the authority to overturn the 2020 election.
“Elections are about the future,” Pence said last week. “My fellow Republicans, we can only win if we are united around an optimistic vision for the future based on our highest values. We cannot win by fighting yesterday’s battles, or by relitigating the past.”
Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with The Post’s live coverage.
This week, Pence’s policy and advocacy organization — Advancing American Freedom — started a $10 million advertising campaign, attacking congressional Democrats while pushing for American energy independence, according to Fox News.
One of the video ads urges views to contact their member of Congress to ask them to “support America’s security instead of Russia’s terror.”
Pence could face a tough battle if he chooses to run in 2024, as he trails behind Trump and President Biden in early polls.
In January, a Politico/Morning Consult poll found Biden behind a hypothetical GOP contender by nine percentage points (46 percent to 37 percent), but ahead in popular-vote wins over Trump (45 percent to 44 percent) and Pence (44 percent to 42 percent).
It is unclear if Trump will run again in 2024, though he has hinted at the possibility several times over the past few months. He is expected to announce a formal decision after this year’s midterm elections.
Democrats face a steep climb to keep the majorities in the House and Senate this fall, as Republicans have warned of a “red wave” coming to Congress.
At least 30 Democrats in the House have decided not to run again, as opposed to 16 Republicans. In the Senate, only one Democratic seat will be open as of early March while five Republican seats will be up for grabs.
