6 signs Mike Pence is gearing up for a 2024 presidential run


There has already been talk of former President Donald Trump's political resurgence in 2024, but what about former Vice President Mike Pence? Might he be launching a presidential bid of his own? Although official word has yet to come, some signs point to yes.
For one thing, Pence's Advancing American Freedom nonprofit group, staffed by some of his "top allies and ex-aides," is aiming to raise "a whopping $18 million this year," Axios reports. AAF could then use that war chest for pre-campaign activities like "polling and candidate travel," or "pour a chunk of its funds in to a supportive political group" if Pence does seriously enter the race later. A recent Wyoming retreat asked donors to "chip in a percentage" of that target sum.
The former VP has also been fundraising for high-profile Republicans, like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Virginia gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin, Axios writes. Furthermore, he has traveled to Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina — all "key early primary states," notes the Washington Examiner.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pence also recently visited to Nebraska to headline the annual "steak fry" alongside Gov. Pete Ricketts (R), as well as launched his own podcast, American Freedom, adds the Washington Examiner.
Last but certainly not least, Pence seems to have begun carving out a conservative legacy of his own, after having defied Trump and certifying President Biden's victory in January. His group, AAF, recently filed a pair of briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court, one looking to overturn Roe v. Wade, and the other aiming to "strike down limits on state education funding for religious schools," writes Axios.
"Subtly," adds the Washington Examiner, "the former vice president is communicating that he does not intend to allow Trump to dictate his political future." Read more at Axios and the Washington Examiner.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
September 6 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include profiting from authoritarianism, and the National Guard entering the CDC
-
Should Britain withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights?
Talking Point With calls now coming from Labour grandees as well as Nigel Farage and the Tories, departure from the ECHR 'is starting to feel inevitable'
-
5 outspoken cartoons about Epstein survivors taking center stage
Cartoons Artists take on cover-ups, Trump surrounded, and more
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
-
Florida aims to end all state vaccine requirements
Speed Read Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cut vaccine access and install anti-vaccine activists at the FDA and CDC
-
US kills 11 on 'drug-carrying boat' off Venezuela
Speed Read Trump claimed those killed in the strike were 'positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists' shipping drugs to the US
-
Trump vows to send federal forces to Chicago, Baltimore
Speed Read The announcement followed a California judge ruling that Trump's LA troop deployment was illegal