The growing 2024 GOP presidential primary field might be adding former President Donald Trump's two-time running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence.
Pence, who is going to participate in the "Roast and Ride" hosted by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, on Saturday, is reportedly going to officially declare his intentions for the 2024 GOP presidential primary race, a source told The Hill.
Iowa is a state where the Indiana-based Pence is popular.
Pence has planned to participate in a televised town hall debate June 7 in Iowa, which had been billed by CNN as a "Presidential Town Hall," despite Pence not having yet made an official declaration for the 2024 race.
The town hall comes on Pence's 64th birthday.
Pence has canceled a previously planned June 9 appearance at the Georgia GOP convention, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday.
"In a Wednesday email to delegates, party chair David Shafer said Pence canceled 'because of a televised national town hall at which he will be making an announcement regarding his future plans,' " according to the AJC.
Pence teased the timing of his 2024 presidential announcement on Newsmax's "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" in late March.
"We really believe for anyone that would be serious about entering the race for the Republican nomination for president that some time about the spring or the early summer that decision has to be made, and we're on that timetable," Pence said, adding he is weighing his decision with former second lady Karen Pence.
"I expect we won't get out of spring without Karen and I having a clear sense of our calling."
Pence, who has been rejected by Trump as a potential 2024 running mate after his Jan. 6 actions presiding over a joint session of Congress, said there is enthusiasm for him to get into what is now a crowded field of candidates in the double digits.
"I can tell you, we're getting an awful lot of encouragement around the country," Pence told host Greta Van Susteren in March. "Look, this country's in a lot of trouble, and I hear again and again what people want to see is people with experience, people with a clear vision, willingness to defend freedom, support our military, support law enforcement, and secure our borders.
"But also get this economy back on track, confront record inflation, begin to deal with the debt crisis facing our country, and push back on the radical left's agenda to trample on our values and most-cherished liberties.
"So, we're reflecting on all of those things."
Pence is a longshot in the race headed by Trump and Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
In the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Pence is averaging just 3.8 points in support, a distant fourth to Trump (53.2%), DeSantis (22.4%), and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley (4.4%).
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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