Former Vice President Mike Pence is scheduling his first public speech since leaving office in January.
One of his aides told The Associated Press on Sunday Pence will keynote a dinner hosted by a conservative Christian nonprofit, the Palmetto Family Council, in South Carolina next month.
Pence spoke out for the first time about the election in an op-ed published by the Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal on Wednesday, as IJR reported.
He used his op-ed to discuss voting irregularities and election integrity, “That’s why when I was serving as presiding officer at the joint session of Congress certifying the Electoral College results, I pledged to ensure that all objections properly raised under the Electoral Count Act would be given a full hearing before Congress and the American people.”
The former vice president added, “The tragic events of Jan. 6 — the most significant being the loss of life and violence at our nation’s Capitol — also deprived the American people of a substantive discussion in Congress about election integrity in America.”
Pence expressed his opposition to an election overhaul bill titled “For the People Act.”
He said it would “increase opportunities for election fraud, trample the First Amendment, further erode confidence in our elections, and forever dilute the votes of legally qualified eligible voters.”
Former President Donald Trump blasted Pence on Twitter on Jan. 6 after the former vice president claimed he did not have the “unilateral authority” to reject electoral votes, as IJR previously reported.
Still, Pence reportedly spoke “very favorably about his relationship” with Trump during a February meeting.
Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, suggested the former president would not consider a run without Pence.
“Never once has there been a conversation internally or in a group about doing something different for the VP position for 2024 if he decides to go that route,” Miller said during an appearance on Mediaite’s “The Interview” podcast on Friday.
He continued, “While I realize that some Trump supporters might be a little bit frustrated with the former vice president, he’s a great guy, he’s been a loyal ally… and I think President Trump still has pretty high regard and fondness for Vice President Pence.”