This could get ugly.
On Friday afternoon, the spotlight will be on former Vice President Mike Spence, who will be addressing comments made by former President Donald Trump regarding his handling of the 2020 election.
At the Federalist Society event in Florida, a preview details that Pence “will deliver remarks about constitutional principles and the rule of law,” but it is unclear how far the former Vice President will go, as speculation around Pence running for office in 2024 increases.
During Trump’s Presidency, Pence was a quintessential loyalist. However, amid the January 6 Capital riot, a break in his loyalties emerged as Pence refused to overturn the election results, instead confirming Biden’s election.
Now, charting a path for 2024 and beyond, Pence continues to defend his actions even in the face of rampant Trump criticism.
Within the last week, Trump has released two statements on Pence. In the first released on Sunday evening, Trump bashed Pence for his handling of the January 6th election confirmation, stating that Pence “could have overturned the Election” but decided against it.
Then, in a statement released Tuesday, Trump said the select committee investigating January should be investigating Pence, especially why the former Vice President failed to “ send back the votes for recertification or approval” considering that “it has now been shown that he clearly had the right to do so!”
For his part in the ongoing duel, the former Vice President, who revealed he and Trump hadn’t spoken in months, expressed pride in Congress completing the certification process following the mayhem of the riot. Concluding his comments on the potential feud by saying he and Trump may “never see eye-to-eye” on the events of January 6.
Trump’s latest berating comes as Pence and his team begin to position themselves for a potential 2024 run, with numerous of Pence’s former aides choosing to cooperate with the House committee, a move that isn’t lost on Trump.
But strategists are wary of Pence’s ability to ascend to the Presidency following his actions on January 6, a move viewed by Trump and his supporters as a betrayal. Many have suggested this move will follow Pence on the campaign trail, possibly becoming his undoing as 2024 approaches.
