WASHINGTON — During a podcast interview earlier this month, former President Donald Trump rattled off the names of those he viewed as future leaders of the Republican Party, including Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz along with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Conspicuously absent from the list: Mike Pence.
The former vice president is steadily reentering public life as he eyes a potential run for the White House in 2024.
He’s writing op-eds, delivering speeches, preparing trips to key primary states and launching an advocacy group that will likely focus on promoting the Trump administration’s accomplishments.
But Trump’s neglect in mentioning Pence during a podcast interview earlier this month signals the former vice president’s unique challenge — despite years as serving as Trump's steadfast lieutenant, many in the Republican party now feel betrayed by Pence after he followed through with his Constitutional duty to preside over the certification of the 2020 electoral results, signifying a peaceful transfer of power.
