Former Vice President Mike Pence has hinted that he may make an announcement for a 2024 presidential election bid over the next several days.
Speaking to a US media outlet, he said that “by the spring, our family expects to have a very clear sense of our calling.”
“If I’m a candidate, I’m sure I’ll meet whatever the requirement is for debates,” Pence added.
The remarks come amid Special Counsel Jack Smith's investigation into former US President Donald Trump’s role in the US Capitol breach on January 6, 2021, when a mob, including supporters of the then-outgoing president, tried to stop Congress from certifying the election win of Democrat Joe Biden.
Pence told the outlet in this context that he would not comply with a subpoena from the special counsel, even if he were compelled to testify by a federal judge. According to the ex-vice president, it would be “unconstitutional” for him to testify against the 45th US president, as he served in the Trump administration.
This followed Pence previously saying in a separate interview that he would prefer a Republican alternative to Trump in the 2024 presidential election. “I think we’re going to have better choices” than Trump, the former Indiana governor argued.
Apart from Pence, an array of other Republicans, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are believed to be gearing up to announce their own White House bids.
Last year, Trump announced that he would seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, saying that he is making the move “in order to make America great and glorious again."