Kellyanne Conway is vigorously denying speculation that Vice President Mike Pence is gearing up to run for president in 2020.
Kellyanne Conway is vigorously denying speculation that Vice President Mike Pence is gearing up to run for president in 2020.
The White House counselor said on ABC News’ “This Week” Sunday, “It is absolutely true that the vice president is getting ready for 2020--for re-election as vice president.”
When host George Stephanopoulos asked if there was any concern he was setting up a shadow campaign, she said, “Zero concern.”
Conway added, “That is complete fiction. That is complete fabrication.”
Pence’s press secretary Marc Lotter also rejected the notion, tweeting, “Claims @VP preparing for 2020 run are ridiculous #FakeNews and nothing more than wishful thinking by New York Times.”
The White House team has been speaking out since a Times report was released Saturday, stating that “...luminaries in [President Trump’s] own party have begun what amounts to a shadow campaign for 2020 — as if the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue weren’t involved.”
The report adds, “multiple advisers to Mr. Pence have already intimated to party donors that he would plan to run if Mr. Trump did not."
It also points out that Pence has cultivated his own power base and launched a fundraising arm as well as installed a new chief of staff Nick Ayers whom the publication calls “a sharp-elbowed political operative.”
Ayers has also responded critically to the Times' report, tweeting in a series, “print total lie in #fakenews article. Said I've ‘signaled to multiple donors @VP wants to be ready for 2020’....Yet they are unable to name one donor that has ever heard me say that...because I haven't. #shameful #fakenews.”
