Pence helped secure 2nd term with Trump by reportedly remaining 'relentlessly positive' on coronavirus

President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
(Image credit: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images)

How did Vice President Mike Pence secure President Trump's trust in a historically tumultuous administration? Very, very carefully.

Over the past four years, Pence has done everything he can to avoid blocking Trump's spotlight, allies and administration officials tell The Washington Post. That "durable and close" relationship secured Pence's spot on Trump's 2020 ticket, one Pence ally said — but also reportedly came at the expense of the advice Pence delivered Trump on coronavirus.

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Beyond his positive coronavirus spin, Pence's allies maintain he has never stepped beyond his current duties to imply he'll seek the presidency in 2024. That political future is uncertain anyway because, as one Republican operative told the Post, "Who do you talk to who's fired up for Mike Pence?" And if 2020 doesn't work out, it's even more clear Pence is headed for the "markdown bin," allies say. Read more about what's next for Pence at The Washington Post.

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.