For Pence, the Future Is Tied to Trump as Much as the Present Is

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If President Trump announces he will run again in 2024, his vice president’s plans could be derailed.

WASHINGTON — For four years, Vice President Mike Pence has walked the Trump tight rope more successfully than anyone else in the president’s orbit, staying on his good side without having to echo his most incendiary rhetoric.

But in the final weeks of Mr. Pence’s term, his relationship with President Trump is facing what may be the vice president’s toughest challenge yet.

Mr. Pence must now balance his loyalty to an enraged president making baseless claims of voter fraud against his own political future and reputation. He also has to deal with how Mr. Trump’s talk of running for president again in 2024 could leave him with no lane to run in. It also makes it difficult for Mr. Pence to even start raising money if the president is floating his own name. Continue reading.