Mike Pence staffs up with an eye on 2024

Former Vice President Mike Pence is gathering retired his governmental staff, the latest denotation that he’s prepping a White House bid that volition pit him against his erstwhile boss, ex-President Donald Trump.

Ali Kjergaard, a spokesperson for outgoing Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, has been tapped to service arsenic communications manager for Advancing American Freedom, a Pence-aligned non-profit enactment that is serving arsenic the erstwhile vice president’s campaign-in-waiting. Those acquainted with the hiring process accidental 2 further communications officials are expected to beryllium added sometime aboriginal adjacent year. Pence’s squad is besides looking to bring connected fundraising aides.

The staffing additions are the latest measurement Pence has taken toward launching a 2024 bid. Last week, helium released a memoir and made an quality astatine the Republican Jewish Coalition league successful Las Vegas, an lawsuit that attracted a fistful of prospective statesmanlike aspirants. The erstwhile vice president spent the past twelvemonth campaigning crossed the state for Republican candidates successful the midterm predetermination – including successful aboriginal GOP nominating states similar Iowa and New Hampshire.

Pence is expected to proceed his governmental question into the caller year, with a travel to New Hampshire among the imaginable stops. A Christian evangelical, Pence is besides slated to embark connected a circuit of mega-churches.

So far, the Pence cognition totals astir 2 twelve unit and consultants, a radical that includes his erstwhile main of staff, Marc Short, and former press secretary, Devin O’Malley, and a seasoned GOP strategist, Chip Saltsman. All 3 are apt to play roles successful a 2024 bid.

Since leaving office, Pence has been leaning connected 2 governmental vehicles, a governmental enactment committee dubbed Great America PAC, and Advancing American Freedom, a 501c4 argumentation nonprofit. Earlier this fall, Advancing American Freedom hosted a retreat successful Utah that was attended by large donors including North Carolina businessman Art Pope.

Looming implicit each of Pence’s moves is Trump, who announced his 2024 comeback bid past week connected the aforesaid time that the erstwhile vice president released his memoir.

Pence has repeatedly expressed a willingness to interruption with Trump, going truthful acold arsenic to accidental Republicans volition person “better choices” than Trump successful 2024. And during his quality earlier the RJC past week, Pence said that Republicans request to beryllium a “party that keeps our oath to the constitution adjacent erstwhile governmental expediency whitethorn suggest we bash otherwise” — an implicit notation to Pence’s determination to rebuff Trump’s unit for him to not certify the 2020 predetermination results.