In New Hampshire visit, Pence says he'll decide on presidential run sometime after the holidays
In a visit to New Hampshire on Monday to promote his new book, former Vice President Mike Pence said he has not yet made a decision on whether to run for president.
Pence signed copies of his new book, "So Help Me God," in Bedford. In the book, he details the dark moments on Jan. 6, 2021, when a mob hunted him and his family after he refused to help then President Donald Trump overturn the 2020 election.
"If there was ever a sequel to the book 'Profiles in Courage,' there would be a chapter about Mike Pence, who stood up for the Constitution and the American people at some risk to himself," said state Rep. Mark Pearson, R-Hampstead.
While some see Pence as a constitutional hero, other Republicans remain on Trump's side. The former president has already launched his 2024 campaign for the Republican nomination, while Pence told sister station WMUR he'll make a decision about running for president sometime after the holidays.
While he's not taking on Trump directly yet, Pence clearly believes it's time for the GOP to move on.
"I think the American people long for leadership that could unite our country around our highest ideals, beginning with the respect that Americans show each other just about every day," Pence said.
Political analysts said if Pence does jump in, he'll face the difficult task of running on Trump administration achievements while running against Trump.
"It's really uncharted territory, because you have to claim credit for your past successes," said Neil Levesque, of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. "But in doing so, separate yourself from the other person who was on the ticket."
Pence might not have much to say about his own plans yet, but he thinks Democrats are making a mistake by walking away from their side of the first-in-the-nation primary.
"It seems like having to come and make your case here in the living rooms and in the diners of New Hampshire has brought forward the kind of clarity for voters that has served our nation through enormously important times in the last century," Pence said.