Former US Vice President Mike Pence will announce his candidacy in the US presidential election next week, according to information provided to NBC News.
Donald Trump’s former vice president may now challenge his former boss for the Republican nomination for next year’s election. According to NBC News sources, Pence will release a campaign video on June 7 with and then speak in Des Moines, Iowa.
The former vice president will campaign in every county in Iowa — a key state for Republicans. It has long been speculated that Mike Pence wants to be the Republican presidential candidate, so if the media reports are correct, the announcement is not unexpected.
Pushed by Trump
Pence is a lawyer by background and was elected governor of his home state of Indiana from 2013 to 2017, before Donald Trump named him as Trump’s running mate for the 2016 presidential election. After winning the election against Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine, Pence was sworn in as America’s 48: e vice president in January 2017.
During Donald Trump’s tenure, Pence was unfailingly loyal to his boss. Until the last days after the election loss in 2020. Then Trump publicly pressured Mike Pence to annul the election results in Congress, but the vice president resisted the demand.
On January 6, 2021, the members of the United States Congress gathered in the Capitol to count the electoral votes of the presidential election and formally appoint Democrat Joe Biden as the winner and next president. But Congress was stormed by Trump supporters. During the storming, Pence had to be taken to safety with his staff and family, while people in the crowd chanted “hang Mike Pence!”.
One of several Trump challengers
More have registered their interest. In addition to ex-president Donald Trump himself, former UN ambassador Niki Haley, among others, has launched his campaign. Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also announced that he is now starting a campaign to become his party’s presidential candidate.
The US election will take place in November 2024.