And so begins yet another ugly chapter in American electoral history, as Donald Trump begins to catch his first volleys of political flack in what is sure to be an ugly and tumultuous 2024 campaign.
Trump is expected to announce his candidacy for President this week, beating everyone else to the punch with one of the worst-kept secrets in all of American politics. Trump is still the presumptive GOP nominee for ’24, at least according to enough of the party to goad him into this early declaration, but the posturing of his potential opponents has been obvious.
Take former Vice President Mike Pence, whose latest statement on Trump’s viability as a candidate reeks of ennui.
Former Vice President Mike Pence said in an interview that aired Monday he believes there are “better choices” when asked if former President Trump should ever be president again.
“Do you believe that Donald Trump should ever be president again?” ABC’s David Muir asked Pence.
Here is where it got ugly.
“David, I think that’s up to the American people,” Pence responded. “But I think we’ll have better choices in the future.”
“People in this country actually get along pretty well once you get out of politics,” Pence told Muir. “And I think they want to see their national leader start to reflect that same, that same compassion and generosity of spirit. And I think, so in the days ahead, I think there will be better choices.”
Pence has made several allusions to his own potential presidential run of late, but has avoided any of the usual trappings of a pre-campaign ritual, instead suggesting that he’ll be slow-rolling into the contest as it develops.
