Whatever Mike Pence Does, He Can’t Escape the Taint of Donald Trump

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:19 pm

Mike Pence is in an increasingly difficult spot, as the running mate of a guy Republican politicians are fleeing from at an ever-increasing rate. But no matter what he does, from continuing the pretense that Trump doesn’t, in fact, exist, as he did at the VP debate, or hiding, as he is now – or actually disavowing Trump altogether, he won’t escape the taint.

Pence cancelled an event taking place with Paul Ryan in Wisconsin today, offering no explanation, though we all know perfectly well what it is. One can only imagine what Pence is thinking today, but we do have his “official” stance.

This was Pence’s reaction to Trump’s sexual assault tape as of this morning:

My statement below: pic.twitter.com/92VYEAxIcl

— Mike Pence (@mike_pence) October 8, 2016

Notice the false allusion to Trump’s expression of “remorse” and his alleged apology, which was really just an attempt to cast the blame on Bill Clinton, as noted by the New York Daily News:

Early look at tomorrow's front page
What Trump said he liked to do to attractive women: "GRAB THEM BY THE P—Y" https://t.co/HPZdvyep1p pic.twitter.com/cYd9IRB4sP

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 7, 2016

As Paul Begala observed this morning,

Keep in mind Pence was ok with Trump mocking a person’s disability, dissing POW’s, the racist attack on a Mex-Am fed judge, birtherism, etc.

Pence can pretend all he wants, but Trump expressed no remorse, and whatever Pence’s hopes, any “opportunity” for Trump to show “what is in his heart” has been repeatedly filled by misogynist, racist, hateful rhetoric. At no point has Trump taken the opportunity to show love for anyone but himself.

If Pence had any remaining doubts about the goodness of his running mate, these should have been dispelled when Trump took credit for his “victory” at the VP debate.

Trump’s former ghostwriter Tony Schwartz tweeted this morning that

“I believe Trump when he says he’s unfazed. Why? 1. He has no conscience & thinks he’s done nothing wrong. 2. He lives in a total bubble.”

It is going to be bad no matter what he does, but pretending Trump actually cares is only going to make it worse.

The only question remaining is to what extent Pence plans on remaining in a “total bubble.”

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Hrafnkell Haraldsson

Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen's Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.

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