Former Vice President Mike Pence is becoming increasingly brazen in his willingness to take on former President Donald Trump. The two will hold dueling events in Arizona on Friday as they pit rival candidates who offer dramatically different visions for the GOP in a crucial battleground state. Days later, they will cross paths once again as they deliver keynote speeches on the same day in Washington, DC The meetings mark a more confrontational phase in the fraught relationship between the former candidates and once close aides who could soon be competing against each other in the 2024 GOP presidential primary if both ultimately choose to run. “I think this is a continuation of the larger message that Pence is trying to embed here, which is that the Republican Party needs to look to the future,” said Scott Jennings, a longtime party strategist. “That’s going to be the existential question for the Republican Party: Are we going to hear a slightly different point of view than Donald Trump? Right now, the standard bearer for that is Mike Pence.” That description marks a striking turnaround for Pence, who spent his four years in the White House as Trump’s staunchest defender. But Trump turned on his vice president when Pence refused to follow through on his unconstitutional efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, putting Pence in the crosshairs of a violent mob on January 6. Now Pence, who has repeatedly defended his actions that day, is making a more active effort to shape the party’s future. This week, Pence endorsed Karyn Taylor Robson in the Republican primary for Arizona governor, pitting her against Trump, who has endorsed Cary Lake, a former news anchor who bought into Trump’s campaign lies. “As Arizona Democrats pursue the reckless Biden-Harris agenda, Karyn Taylor Robson is the only candidate for Governor who will keep Arizona’s borders secure and roads safe, empower parents and build great schools and promote conservative values,” Pence said in a statement. his decision. Pence has endorsed Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a top Trump target who easily defeated the former president’s elite opponent this spring. But Pence’s move in Arizona showed a willingness to enter a tighter, more open race in alliance with the state’s outgoing GOP governor, Doug Ducey, who also rejected Trump’s efforts to flip the election. Pence plans to campaign with Robson in Phoenix and southern Arizona on Friday — the same day Trump is set to lead a Lakeside rally that was rescheduled after the death of his first wife, Ivana Trump. Matt Benson, a spokesman for Robson’s campaign, said Pence will attend an event at a local employer and attend a border security briefing while in the state. A spokesman for Trump did not respond to requests for comment on the events. Trump and Pence will cross paths again next week as the former president returns to the nation’s capital for the first time since leaving the White House. Pence will speak at the conservative Heritage Foundation on Monday night and address the Young America’s Foundation’s annual National Conservative Student Conference on Tuesday morning. That afternoon, Trump will headline a two-day summit hosted by the America First Policy Institute. Pence will use his speech before the Heritage Foundation to highlight the political agenda he released earlier and talk about the future of the party, according to aides. The remarks are expected to offer a tacit contrast to Trump, who has spent much of his energy since leaving office redefining the 2020 election. Pence urged Republicans to move forward even as he continues to tout the accomplishments of what he often describes as a Trump-Pence administration. Meanwhile, Pence met privately on Wednesday with the House Republican Study Committee, the most traditionally conservative caucus he once led as a congressman, to discuss the “Freedom Agenda.” The RSC’s current chairman, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said before the meeting that the group was glad to hear from the former vice president. Pence’s efforts come as Trump prepares to launch a third campaign for the White House as early as this summer while facing a series of investigations into his efforts to cling to office. That includes the Jan. 6 House committee, which on Thursday will hold another hearing, this time focusing on Trump’s refusal to withdraw the angry mob that stormed the Capitol and sent Pence and other lawmakers into hiding . While polls show Trump remains the overwhelming favorite in a hypothetical GOP primary, Marc Short, a former Pence chief of staff and top adviser, argued that even if Trump announces a run, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be on the ballot. two years from now. “As the committee ends, I’m sure he’s looking for a reset that will put the spotlight back on him. And an announcement is not necessarily a commitment at the end of that process to continue forward,” Short said. “I don’t think there’s any doubt that the president enjoys being the center of attention. And the announcement even focuses the media on him.” Trump, meanwhile, continued to criticize Pence for refusing to follow through on his plan to stay in office. At a rally of evangelical Christians in Nashville, Tennessee, last month, Trump again said Pence “didn’t have the courage to act,” drawing applause. When it comes to a potential race, Trump doesn’t see Pence as a threat, according to allies, who are far more consumed with Ron DeSandis. The Florida governor is increasingly seen by conservatives as a natural and younger successor to Trump’s MAGA movement who can channel the same anger but with less baggage. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday predicted that Trump will face competition in 2024 if he enters the race. “I think we’re going to have a full field for president,” he told reporters. Asked whether Pence should run, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a frequent Trump critic, said it was up to Pence, who has said he will make a decision after the midterms. “The more the merrier,” Romney said. Jennings, meanwhile, praised Pence for being willing to stand up to Trump when so many in the party still refuse to crucify him. “What Mike Pence is doing is extremely valuable. And if he is a viable presidential candidate. I do not know. But he has certainly earned the right to support a post-Trump future,” Jennings said. “He might end up being John the Baptist for someone else,” he added. “Headless but remembers well.” Our Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
