Last week Mike Pence announced that he would not endorse his former boss, Donald Trump, in the November 2024 presidential election. It made for an interesting story– but I doubt Pence’s decision will make any political difference. Why? Because I don’t think Mike Pence has much of a following. Pence’s views–a combination of small government, aid for Ukraine, support for business interests, respect for institutions, and social conservatism–do not define the GOP in the way that they did in the Reagan era.
The GOP is Trump’s party. It is a party of isolationism, populism, Christian nationalism, and opposition to “woke” business culture.
Both Trump and Pence share social conservative views (Pence is a true believer, Trump claims to be). Trump put Pence on the ticket in 2016 to attract evangelicals, but now evangelicals have largely rejected him as a presidential candidate.
One one hand, Pence is a tragic figure in American politics.
On the other hand, Pence stood dutifully, square-shouldered, behind Trump for four years. I can’t really feel too bad for the guy.
Imagine what might have happened if Pence listened to his wife Karen and his friends and resigned from the 2016 GOP ticket after Trump’s infamous Access Hollywood tape was released? Imagine if he put principle over ambition? Where would we be today?