Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially enter the race for the White House next week, challenging his former boss Donald Trump in the Republican primaries, according to US media.
On Wednesday, June 7, the day of his 64th birthday, the curator will publish a video, participate in a rally in Des Moines, Iowa and will be on the sets of the CNN channel, said relatives, on condition of anonymity, to NBC and others.
A former Donald Trump loyalist
An evangelical Christian, fierce opponent of abortion, Mike Pence helped Donald Trump conquer the religious right by being his running mate during the 2016 campaign. After years of unwavering loyalty, he changed his tone after the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. In particular, he judged that the president's words that day were "irresponsible" and had "put him in danger", because he was then on Capitol Hill.
Donald Trump had insisted that he refuse to certify Joe Biden's victory. The former governor of Indiana had not complied, which still earns him a strong enmity among supporters of the billionaire and jeopardizes his chances in a primary. It peaks around 3.8% of voting intentions, far behind Donald Trump (53.2%) or Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (22.4%), according to the average of the latest polls conducted by the site RealClearPolitics. But he has been preparing his candidacy for months.
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After releasing a book called "So help me God," the former radio host crisscrossed the country, multiplying speeches in states likely to make a difference in Republican primaries. Two weeks ago, his allies launched an exploratory "Committed to America" campaign committee to support him. Another Republican figure, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, is also expected to enter the race for the Republican nomination next week. He, too, cut ties with Donald Trump after the attack on the Capitol.