Whoa. Here’s something you don’t hear of everyday, not in a normal administration. A New York Times report finds that some Trump loyalists are more than a little worried that Mike Pence – the single biggest suck-up ever to live, and winner of the George Will most awful man in government award – is already setting up the power base required to take over the Republican party. Apparently Mike Pence believes Trump is too focused upon running the country and giving Trump some alternative worries will be good for Trump.
Two senior White House officials spoke to reporters about “Pence’s empire-building” after Pence began the process of hiring a GOP operative who was part of the Never Trump movement during the 2016 primaries, only to “abort” it (we never miss an opportunity to note that Pence may choose to abort anything when there’s a need), presumably after some Trump people “noticed” and sounded off on their displeasure about it.
The theory is that the White House is such a zoo break amidst all its trouble simply keeping its head above water that Pence e “found a yawning opening within the West Wing, as Mr. Trump’s principal political aides spend much of their time managing his impulses and vying with each other, instead of overseeing the party and this year’s campaign.”
Not hard to imagine.
In addition to the aborted attempt to hire the never-Trumper, Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, hired William Kirkland away from the president and “Trump officials believe he will effectively run a shadow political office for Mr. Pence, a setup unheard-of so soon into a new administration.”
Yes, “unheard of,” but on the other hand, it would likely be common practice if most administrations looked to be this “in trouble” “so soon into a new administration.” The New York Times – being the respectable paper of record that it is – left unsaid the 239 (supposed) pound gorilla in the room unaddressed, that being that it’s highly possible that Pence, who knows many facts that we do not, but Robert Mueller does, may just be preparing for what he sees as inevitable. One might say he is being “prudent” in attempting to save himself and benefit.
Some people buy 90 days of supplies in case of a hurricane or earthquake, some people establish their own political organization in case their boss ends up in jail.
