Former Vice President Mike Pence said Sunday that he will make a decision on whether to launch a 2024 presidential bid «well before the end of June.»
in a interview on CBS’s «Face the Nation», Pence said that anyone who is «serious» about seeking the Republican nomination in next year’s presidential race should enter the race in June.
“If we have to make an announcement, it will be well before the end of June,” Pence said.
Asked if he was leaning towards running for president, Pence said he is «here in Iowa» right now. Pence and a handful of Republicans who are running or could run in 2024 are in Iowa for a Faith and Freedom Coalition event to pitch their proposals to religious conservatives in the state where the GOP will begin its nomination process next year. .
Asked about the likelihood of him running, Pence told NBC News in Clive, Iowa, on Saturday: «I promise when we have something to announce, I’ll let you know, but I’ll tell you: we’re getting a tremendous amount of breath.”
Pence was the governor of Indiana before becoming vice president of the Trump administration and previously also represented the state in the US House of Representatives.
If Pence bids for the GOP presidential nomination, he would enter an already crowded field that includes his former boss, Donald Trump; former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who served as the United States Ambassador to the United States under the Trump administration; former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy and conservative radio host Larry Elder.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has not officially announced a presidential run, is also expected to enter the race. His team has begun internal discussions about delegate strategy as part of a long-term strategy to compete against Trump, NBC News reported this month.
Across the aisle, President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated his plans to run for re-election. Biden is preparing to make official his intention to seek a second term this week, and aides plan to launch his re-election campaign as early as Tuesday, three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.
Pence has clashed with Trump over his refusal to accept his former boss’s unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Despite Trump’s attempts to influence him, Pence certified Biden’s election victory hours after the attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021. At the time, he cited his constitutional duty to oversee the official count of electoral votes in Congress.
Some rioters were heard chanting «Hang Mike Pence» as the attack unfolded, and they approached where Pence sought refuge with Secret Service agents. The former vice president was also booed in his home state this month when he delivered remarks at the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting.
Pence left the stage at the event to a mix of boos from some Trump supporters and cheers from others. Responding to Pence’s mixed reception, Trump said that he «heard it was very harsh.»