Former President Donald Trump has hinted that he plans to run for president in 2024, and he’s already ruled out his former Vice President Mike Pence as a possible running mate.
“I don’t think the people would accept it,” Trump told the Washington Examiner Tuesday during an interview from Mar-a-Lago.
According to the outlet, Trump has decided against running alongside Pence – an Indiana politician who previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives – due to differences related to the 2020 presidential election.
Trump lost the election to current President Joe Biden. However, from before the election results came in to the present day, he insists that the election was marred by fraud. He has not provided evidence for the claims.
During a rally on Jan. 6, 2021, before a deadly riot broke out at the U.S. Capitol, Trump said “all Vice President Pence has to do is send it back to the states to recertify and we become president and you are the happiest people.”
Pence would not have been able to intervene in the certification of votes, NBC News reported. Since then, Pence has also argued that Trump’s claims about the vice president’s ability to overturn the election are wrong, according to PBS.
During the Jan. 6 riots, participants at one point yelled “hang Mike Pence.”
“It’s common sense that you’re supposed to protect,” said Trump of the chants. “How can you — if you know a vote is fraudulent, right? — how can you pass on a fraudulent vote to Congress?”
Trump said Pence is a “really fine person,” during the recent Washington examiner interview, but still held that they no longer speak.
“Mike and I had a great relationship except for the very important factor that took place at the end. We had a very good relationship,” Trump said. “I haven’t spoken to him in a long time.”
According to ABC News, Pence said “there is no room in this party for apologists for Putin,” of the GOP in February. Pence also “urged Republicans to move on from the 2020 election.”
Previously, NBC reported that Trump had called the Russian Federation president, who has led an invasion of Ukraine that has claimed civilian lives, including children and caused refugees to flee, “genius.” This week, Trump said in another interview that Putin wanted to rebuild a Soviet Union where there was “a lot of love.”
When Trump gave “his strongest indication yet that he intends to run in 2024” during a speech to supporters in February, according to The Washington Post, he also praised Putin.
Results of a Wall Street Journal poll released last Friday show that Trump and Biden were tied in a hypothetical 2024 presidential race. Other potential Trump running mates include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
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