Former US vice president Mike Pence files papers to enter 2024 White House race

MikePence, the former vice president of the United States,on Monday (June 5) launched his hotly-anticipated bid to run for president — a challenge for his one-time boss Donald Trump.

The papers filed with theFederal Election Commission showed that Pence has officially joined the candidates who are contesting to be the 2024 presidential nominee of the Republican Party.

The 63-year-old is scheduled to kick off his presidential campaign officially with a video and announcement in the early-voting state of Iowa.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

US-based media outlets reported that Pence is expected to publicly launch his campaign with a June 7 rally in Des Moines.

The report mentioned that the former vice president is also expected to hold several additional events in Iowa following his campaign announcement, which may also include a CNN town hall in the evening.

Pence made regular visits to a couple of key early-voting states — Iowa and New Hampshire, which according tomedia reports, is a process of the groundwork for a presidential campaign.

As quoted by USA TODAY, Democratic leaders, including Jaime Harrison, criticised Pence's entry. As quoted, Harrison, who is Democratic National Committee Chair, said in a statement that "Pence's entrance will no doubt drag an increasingly MAGA 2024 GOP field even further to the extremes".

Harrison said, "In Mike Pence's own words, he was a member of the extreme Tea Party 'before it was cool,' and he hasn't slowed down since. Now, he's promising to take the Trump-Pence agenda even further, leading the charge for a national abortion ban, cutting Medicare, and ending Social Security as we know it."

From 2017 to 2021, Pence was a loyal deputy of Trump while serving as the vice president. He brought the religious right into the tent and was willing to defend the president against any accusation.

However, the narratives changed when Pence rejected Trump's demands that he overturn the 2020 election in his role as president of the Senate.

Afterthe US Capitol attack, Pence continued to praise his assailant in public, but it eventually changed as Trump's torrent of false claims of election fraud led to a mob chanting for Pence to be hanged at the US Capitol.

Pence even called out Trump for endangering his family and other people at the US Capitol, and also emphasised his differences with Trump on issues ranging from the handling of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to abortion rights.

Republican White House race

Some polls have shown Trump leading the Republican race, which has other names, including Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and more. But reports have noted that Pence has aimed to distinguish himself from his rivals on issues such as support for Ukraine, and other issues of global concern.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.