From the Perfect Running Mate to the Target: The Fall of Mike Pence in the Trump Administration
- Chloe Cheng
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Chloe Cheng
“Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!” Rioters turn on the Vice President they once supported as they force their way through security and shatter the windows of the Capitol building while flying American flags. Whether this was an insurrection or an act of patriotism, January 6th effectively ended Pence’s chances of running as Trump’s Vice President in the 2024 election.
Before joining Trump in the 2016 election, Pence had 12 years of experience as a U.S. Representative and was serving as the governor of Indiana. An unwavering champion of social conservatism, Pence opposed abortion and promoted a rigid gender binary. As the Indiana governor, he had repeatedly signed anti-abortion laws and approved a “religious freedom” law that far-right citizens used to justify refusing service to the LGBTQ+ community. Even many Republican Hoosiers viewed his laws as extreme, cementing Pence as the epitome of a social conservative -- and, in 2016, the perfect ideological figure for MAGA.
While Trump ran as a Republican, his political identity was far from the traditional Republican leadership. His trade policies, immigration stance, and foreign relations positions diverged greatly from those of past Republican presidents, forming a populist political style commonly referred to as “Trumpism.” Pence, by contrast, embodied the party’s traditional social platform, making him a strategic choice for Vice President to appeal to evangelical conservative voters.
However, their alliance fractured after the 2020 election. Trump pressured Pence to reject the official counts of the electoral votes in their favor, but Pence argued that it violated his constitutional authority. Citing his oath and legal responsibilities, Pence refused to change the count. Trump publicly criticized Pence, calling him a “wimp,” leading to a definitive end of their political partnership and forcing Trump to seek another vice presidential running mate in the 2024 election.
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