If Mike Pence didn’t have a moment of clarity when he was scurrying through the tunnels under the Capitol, running for his life, then the man is hopeless and he deserves whatever else befalls him at the hands of Donald Trump.
Incredibly, Pence is still pushing the Big Lie about election integrity even though it almost got him killed. He apparently believes that his only hope for political self-preservation is to stay tied to Trump. Be that as it may, Trump, whose middle name should be “transactional” is already purportedly looking to other candidates for the number two spot on the ticket, should be decide to run in 2024, i.e., a black or a woman. And that brings us to Uncle Tim Scott and Kristi Worst-COVID-Response Noem. Bloomberg:
Trump’s advisers have discussed identifying a Black or female running mate for his next run, and three of the people familiar with the matter said Pence likely won’t be on the ticket.
Two advisers have suggested Trump consider South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, the people said. Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, are hosting a fundraiser for Noem on Friday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort and home in Palm Beach. The former president is planning to make an appearance, people familiar with the matter said.
And on Tuesday, Trump issued a public endorsement for South Carolina Senator Tim Scott’s re-election. Scott is the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate.
Pence rejected his boss’s appeals to unilaterally overturn Trump’s re-election defeat when he presided over the congressional count of Electoral College votes on Jan. 6. The event turned into an insurrection by Trump’s supporters, who invaded the Capitol, disrupted the count and forced the vice president and members of Congress to flee. Five people died in the melee.
I have no sympathy for Pence. He knew where Trump was going with his drama of overturning the election and Pence should have told him from the get go that the job of officiating over the Electoral College votes was a ceremonial one, only, and that at that point he had zero power to do anything. Of course, Trump would not have wanted to accept that, because accepting reality is not his strong suit, but if Pence had done that, and made it clear that he’d done that, it’s conceivable that Trump wouldn’t have been able to sic the mob on him. The siccing of the mob was only possible, because there was silence — in essence, complicity — with respect to Trump’s comments about January 6 being a final date for resolution of the election. It was never that. The final date was November 7 and anything that Trump spoke of beyond that, was merely an outworking of his own denial and desperation — which Pence allowed.
We’ll see if this goes anywhere. I don’t expect Trump to run again, although his niece Mary, who calls the shots right, said that he may well do it just for the money, because it’s such a good money maker for him. If that is the case, look to Noem or Scott to rise in the party to the number two spot, because it won’t be Nikki Haley, that’s a foregone conclusion. And I don’t think it will be Mike Pence.
“Pence should have told him from the get go that the job of officiating over the Electoral College votes was a ceremonial one” From what I understand – he did tell 45 before 1/6 and for sure on 1/6. No matter what anyone said to 45 – 45 only believed what he wanted to. I too have no sympathy for Pence. Pence was a 45 zombie. Dead to himself.
Will 45 run again? I agree with his niece – yes – for $$. But….45 is showing more issues with body jerking, etc., that his age is going to bite him in the ass, along with the dementia that got his father. He’ll promote Ivanka – just watch.
Ivanka is an ornament. She had no power in the White House and he won’t promote her for anything. Anyway, she’s not interesting; she doesn’t have the ability campaign or relate to people in anything remotely approaching a genuine fashion. Politics has destroyed her “brand” and that’s what she’s probably most interested in repairing — making money, not running for office.
I think Trump has to SAY he’s running again because to tell himself anything different would be to admit he’s a loser and he would die. But as you say, it’s doubtful he’ll be in any shape to.
Pence is a member of the cult. He’s still lying about the election, *and* he’s lying about what HR1 would do.
This is media clickbait hooey. Some unnamed “advisors” have “suggested” this, but no one is seriously considering it as anything but feeding a famished media a giant spoonful of empty calories. There will not be a woman or a black person on the GOP ticket in the lifetimes of anyone now alive. They are an authoritarian patriarchal party who believe God meant white men to rule. And when they tried a woman it backfired. It not only didn’t scarf up women’s votes — it repelled them. Trump only feels comfortable with white men, period.
Anyway, he won’t be running in 2024. Between his physical condition and his legal problems, he won’t be in any shape to.
He’s just doing what my old man used to do, making plans he’s got no muscle or interest in carrying out. Scott or Noem sign on with him, they’re done outside the GQP bubble.
Can we stop giving Trump oxygen? Can we stop posting his picture? He is merely a private citizen trying to make himself relevant.
While I agree, Dana, there’s little else to talk about right now. And the other things we can are difficult subjects, be it Texas being reduced to a Third World country, COVID uncertainties of various kinds and coming to grips with how the almighty GQP is no longer the invincible boogeyman I’ve known my whole life. So I get why Ursula speaks of such things.
I seriously doubt Trump will have the mental capacity in 4 years to run again.
Interesting article. Thanks, Ursula. I agree with not publishing Trump’s mug so often, or at all. But the pic chosen for this article is telling in the extreme. During a group prayer (when non believers may sit quietly or bow their heads out of respect) Trump is scowling and looking around and thinking — what?? It is the face of a quintessential bad guy. He can’t hide it.