Mike Pence Reportedly Planning To Turn On Donald Trump, Run For President In 2020
Mike Pence could be quietly planning to take on Donald Trump and make a bid at the Republican nomination in 2020, a new and controversial report is claiming.
Though Trump’s many controversies and the growing investigation into his campaign’s possible collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign, Vice President Mike Pence has kept a largely low stature. But while the former Indiana governor is staying away from the spotlight, a new report claims that he is consolidating power and planning to make his own run at the Oval Office.
The New York Times noted that Pence has been taking some unusual steps for a vice president, including creating his own fundraising committee and hosted some high-powered Republican donors at his residence in Washington. The report led to rumors that Pence is gathering power and feeling out what support he would have should he decide to take on Donald Trump in three years.
If Mike Pence is planning to run for president, he may be first feeling out where Trump’s popularity tracks. Polls have shown that Trump is at historic lows for a new president, with his support in the his 30s in many polls and the number of strong supporters dropping sharply. While Trump never enjoyed high approval marks — even in the period directly after his inauguration, when presidents have traditionally seen a significant boost — the lower the numbers fall, the more vulnerable Trump would be going into the next election.
But Mike Pence could find his way into the White House, even if he doesn’t try to primary Donald Trump. Some political experts have predicted that the Russia investigation will lead to Trump’s impeachment and pave the way for a Pence presidency.
Maxine Waters, a Democrat from California and frequent critic of Donald Trump, openly predicted that Pence would be in the Oval Office.
“Mike Pence is somewhere planning an inauguration. Priebus and Spicer will lead the transition,” Waters wrote on Twitter (via The Hill).
Mike Pence aides: Report about a 2020 presidential run is "total lie" and "wishful thinking" https://t.co/DJy90tTPfe pic.twitter.com/LPDRDviO44
— ABC News (@ABC) August 6, 2017
White House officials have shot down the reports that Mike Pence is planning to run for president. Marc Lotter, a spokesman for the vice president, told the Huffington Post that the original report was “wishful thinking” and that Pence has no plans to run for president.
[Featured Image by Mark Wilson/Getty Images]
