- Trump's spokesman attacked his former VP Mike Pence as "desperate to chase his lost relevance."
- Pence is laying the groundwork for a 2024 run and campaigning against Trump in Georgia.
- "Pence is parachuting into races, hoping someone is paying attention," the Trump spokesman said.
President Donald Trump's spokesperson attacked former Vice President Mike Pence as "desperate to chase his lost relevance" and "hoping someone is paying attention" as he tests the waters for a possible 2024 presidential campaign.
"Mike Pence was set to lose a governor's race in 2016 before he was plucked up and his political career was salvaged," Trump representative Taylor Budowich told The New York Times in a story about Pence's 2024 presidential aspirations.
"Now, desperate to chase his lost relevance, Pence is parachuting into races, hoping someone is paying attention," Budowich continued. "The reality is, President Trump is already 82-3 with his endorsements, and there's nothing stopping him from saving America in 2022 and beyond."
Pence, who broke with Trump in the wake of the January 6 insurrection, is laying the groundwork for a 2024 run with speeches denouncing Trump's election lies, appearances in key early presidential primary states, and stumping for GOP candidates.
Pence is trying to help reelectRepublicans who acknowledged President Joe Biden winning the 2020 election and refused to aid Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election — starting with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
Pence along with other high-profile current and former Republican governors who have bristled with Trump have come out to support Kemp in the days leading up to Tuesday's primary, when Kemp will face Trump-endorsed challenger David Perdue, a former senator whose campaign has struggled.
Perdue's expected loss will be another high-profile blemish on Trump's endorsement record.
The three endorsed candidates who have lost so far in the 2022 primary cycle are Rep. Madison Cawthorn, Nebraska gubernatorial candidate Charles Herbster, and Idaho Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who Trump endorsed in her unsuccessful bid to unseat sitting Gov. Brad Little.
Another major Trump endorsee, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is barreling toward a likely runoff against Dave McCormick in the Republican primary for an open US Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
In addition to Perdue, Trump has also endorsed an election denier candidate, Rep. Jody Hice, to challenge Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's chief election official.