Trump and Pence: From political allies to rivals
- Trump and Pence once ran together as the ‘law-and-order candidates’
- The rift between Pence and Trump seemed to start around the time of Jan. 6
- Now, the former ticketmates are challenging each other in the GOP primary
President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Vice President-elect Mike Pence acknowledge the crowd during the first stop of his post-election tour, in Cincinnati on Dec. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
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(NewsNation) — What was once a political partnership between former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence is now a fractured bond. When exactly did the relationship spiral? We may never know, but a timeline of events highlights points of contention that possibly led to the falling-out.
Summer 2016: It all started with a game
Pence and Trump’s journey reportedly started with a game of golf. Over the July 4 holiday weekend in 2016, CNN reported Trump invited the then-Indiana governor to his golf club in New Jersey. At the time, Pence said Trump was a “very good golfer.”
While it was not the first time Trump and Pence had met, this is when rumors started to swirl Pence could be considered as a potential running mate for Trump.
Picking a partner
Politico reported Trump was still floating whether to pick Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as his running mate just four days before the 2016 Republican National Convention.
On July 13, 2016, Trump reportedly called Pence and told him he secured the spot, but the next day, Trump told Fox News he had not made his “final, final decision” yet.
Plus, top Trump aides at the time said the businessman would not publicly announce Pence as the pick until July 15, which placed Pence in a tough situation since he had a deadline of when he had to remove his name from the Indiana gubernatorial ballot.
Top Pence aides pressured the Trump campaign, reportedly arguing that if Trump would not publicly announce Pence as his running mate before the deadline, they were going to have Pence keep his initial plan of running for governor.
With about an hour left before the deadline on July 15, 2016, Trump tweeted, “I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my Vice Presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11 a.m.”
Pence introduced as running mate
Trump formally introduced Pence as his running mate on July 16, 2016, during an event at a midtown Manhattan Hilton, where he referred to the duo as “the law-and-order candidates.”
With his strong evangelical following, Pence said he was “a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.”
At the event, Pence also said, “Donald Trump is a good man, and he will make a great president of the United States.”
Winning the White House
On November 8, 2016, following a divisive campaign season, Americans elected Trump as the 45th President of the United States. Trump won the Electoral College (despite losing in the popular vote), defeating Hillary Clinton.
Jan. 6, 2021
After nearly four years of appearing to stay in Trump’s good graces, the rift between Pence and Trump seemed to start around the time of Jan. 6, 2021. Trump pressured Pence to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
As vice president and president of the Senate, Pence was set to preside over the ceremonial certification of the election results. He rejected demands from Trump that he attempt to block the congressional confirmation of Biden.
In a letter to members of Congress before the joint session of Congress to count those votes, Pence defied Trump and said he did not have the authority to discard electoral votes.
“It is my considered judgement that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” Pence wrote on Jan. 6, 2021.
Before the count was set to begin, Trump said in a speech to his supporters, “Mike Pence is going to have to come through for us, and if he doesn’t, it’s a sad day for our country.”
When rioters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, some chanted they wanted to “hang Mike Pence.” The House Committee that later investigated the riot said “the President of the United States had riled up a mob that hunted his own Vice President.”
“Trump was wrong”
On March 11, 2023, Pence delivered what many considered to be his strongest criticism of Trump yet at the time.
During remarks at the Gridiron Dinner attended by politicians and journalists, Pence said, “President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”
Before his March 11 remarks, Pence had carefully distanced himself from Trump, saying he doubted the two would ever see “eye to eye” over the Jan. 6 riot.
Pence’s “Trump was wrong” comment signaled the former vice president may be laying the groundwork to make a presidential run of his own.
Pence announces presidential run
On June 7, 2023, Pence launched his presidential campaign, joining a crowded 2024 GOP primary field.
In his announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pence took a subtle swing at Trump, saying that “different times call for different leadership.”
Ahead of Pence’s announcement, Trump said in November 2022 he would make his third run at the White House.
Trump indicted
In August, Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury on four charges stemming from alleged efforts to stay in power after the 2020 election. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.
The indictment reportedly cited handwritten notes from Pence.
“He’s delusional”
Following the indictment, Trump lashed out at his former vice president.
“WOW, it’s finally happened! Liddle’ Mike Pence, a man who was about to be ousted as Governor Indiana until I came along and made him V.P., has gone to the Dark Side,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“I never told a newly emboldened (not based on his 2% poll numbers!) Pence to put me above the Constitution, or that Mike was ‘too honest,’” the former president added. “He’s delusional, and now he wants to show he’s a tough guy.”
Recent jabs
The shots between Trump and Pence have continued. Just last week, Trump took to Truth Social to slam Pence.
“Was just watching Mike Pence make up stories about me, which are absolutely false,” Trump wrote on Sept. 6 in a Truth Social post. “I never said for him to put me before the Constitution – I don’t talk that way, and wouldn’t even think to suggest it.”
Trump’s post follows Pence’s recent remarks in New Hampshire, where he spoke of Trump’s call last year to “terminate” parts of the Constitution.
In a separate post, Trump said, “For 7 years Mike Pence only spoke well of me. Now he’s decided to go to the ‘Dark Side.’”
Ticketmates to opponents
The former ticketmates are now challenging each other in the GOP primary.
Recent polling shows Trump has maintained a big lead over other Republican contenders as Pence struggles to find support. A Morning Consult poll from Tuesday has Trump at 57% and Pence at 6%.