Mike Pence.Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty
Former Vice PresidentMike Pence— whose political future is much watched after a falling out withDonald Trumpover refusing to overturn their election defeat — is keeping himself in the conversation with a conservative-minded new podcast, out Friday.
American Freedomwill,according toPolitico, cover issues familiar to Republican voters, including the Afghanistan withdrawal at the end of the war and efforts to “preserve our freedom” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s a return to form of sorts for Pence, who was a popular radio host in Indiana before getting into politics.
Pence said in a statement toPoliticothat the podcast “will serve as an opportunity to highlight the unique and remarkable ways in which the next generation of conservative leaders are stepping up to promote traditional conservative values and reject the destructive ideals of the radical left that threaten America’s standing as the great in the world.”
The former vice president has made few public remarks since leaving office in January with a fractured relationship with former President Trump.
Pence was a loyal No. 2 of the now 75-year-old Trump’s four years in office, acting as a defender of the administration’s policies and a bridge to the Republican Party’s religious and more traditional wings.
Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi preside over a Joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 Electoral College results on Wednesday evening after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol earlier in the day.ERIN SCHAFF/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Trump infamously refused to accept his defeat last November and launched months of media campaigns and failed legal efforts to fight the loss.
Then, on Jan. 6, Trump gave a disgruntled speech to his supporters outside the White House, calling on Pence to somehow block the congressional certification of Biden and Vice PresidentKamala Harris' victory.
Ina statementpublished hours before thedeadly riotat the U.S. Capitol that day, which briefly delayed the session and sent lawmakers into hiding, Pence explained he had no authority to try and overturn the votes.
The explanation did little to deter Trump and angered many of his supporters, some of whom erected a gallows outside the Capitol and could be heard chanting “hang Mike Pence” as they entered the building.
Pence — who ultimately did affirm the results for Biden, once lawmakers were allowed back into the building —has since calledJan. 6 “a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol” and lamented “there are those in our party who believe” he could have single-handedly blocked the final counting of the Electoral College votes that day.
The Hill reported that the nonprofit group lists several Trump administration officials among its advisors, including Kellyanne Conway and former National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow.
The former vice president is also set to release his autobiography in 2023 as part of a two-book deal with Simon & Schuster,the publisher announced in April.
The book is described as “the story of Pence’s faith and public service,” and will trace his rise to the White House from Indiana and “the many pivotal moments of the administration” working with Trump — “from the time he was selected to run as Vice President through Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021.”
Pence is widely thought to be mulling his own presidential bid in 2024, though those plans likely hinge on whether Trump will launch his own campaign for president.
In addition to his new podcast, Pence will reportedly also tour college campuses for the Young America’s Foundation, according toPolitico.
source: people.com
