Will Mike Pence Run For President? Vice President Launches His Own PAC Ahead Of 2018, 2020 Elections
Amid the turmoil and a rising number of developments in the White House this week, Vice President Mike Pence launched an independent Political Action Committee (PAC) called "Great America Committee," to reportedly aid his future political interests and mainly aimed at assisting Republican candidates ahead of the 2018 midterm elections as well as the 2020 elections, reports said Thursday.
The committee filed official paperwork with the FEC on Wednesday, marking the first time a sitting Vice President in the history of the United States created his own PAC, just six months into the president’s term. Pence is expected to use funds from the committee to, among other things, pay Air Force Two costs as he travels to campaign for Republican candidates, NBC reported.
President Donald Trump’s long time adviser, Roger Stone tweeted his reaction following the news.
A source close to the vice president said the organization will "provide resources for the vice president to actually support candidates who are supportive of the president's agenda."
Nick Ayers and Marty Obst, two of Pence's top aides will head the new organization. Ayers added the planning for this PAC began long ago when the administration was being changed from former President Barack Obama to Trump and that "the president on down have been aware of this for many, many months. It surprised no one in his inner circle."
Since the announcement of the creation of the PAC there has been speculation that this could be used for Pence’s campaign for president in 2020. However, the claims have been shut down.
"Don't read into 2020 as anything other than his running for re-election as vice president in 2020 and supporting other candidates," an unnamed source told NBC News.
Pence’s campaign strategist Ayers also said any speculation that the PAC is anything more than an organization in order to help other candidates, pay for the vice president's political travel, and a "legal necessity" to "all of Pence's political assets in an entity that he could use," is false. Ayers said, adding, "It is what it is."
House Speaker Paul Ryan also dismissed the speculation when asked by reporters on Thursday about the possibility that some members of the White House, might believe "we might be better [off] with Vice President Pence," given the turmoil in the administration and the large number of allegations against the president.
"I'm not even going to give credence to that. I'm not even going to comment on that....There's not even a point making a comment on that," Ryan responded to the suggestion.
Pence, himself has not yet commented on his committee or the rising speculation of him running for president in 2020. The vice president has remained largely in the background while the president was amid several controversies regarding the FBI’s investigation into the alleged ties between Russia and Trump’s campaign officials to the sudden dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey by the president last week.
While some Republicans have been supporting Trump throughout, Democrats and critics have raised numerous calls for "impeachment" this week after the reported allegations Comey made in a memo, that said Trump told him to "let go" of an investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael T. Flynn, according to a report published in the New York Times.
In the potential case of Trump’s impeachment, death or resignation, Pence would be next in line to become the commander-in-chief.
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution states "in case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President."
According to the constitution, a president can be impeached for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors." Trump will have to be impeached and convicted for Pence to take his place.
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