Donald Trump’s Second Refusal To Endorse Mike Pence In 2024 Leads To Rumors That Don Jr. Is Planning To Run
Donald Trump for the second time has refused to offer an endorsement of Mike Pence for a hypothetical 2024 presidential run, sparking a new round of rumors that Donald Trump Jr. could be angling for a presidential run.
In an interview with Meet the Press on Sunday, Trump was asked if he would offer an endorsement for his vice president to run for the White House when Trump himself would be term-limited out of office. As the Daily Mail noted, Trump said it is too far ahead for that and refused to give an endorsement.
The question came up in response to a previous Fox News interview for Trump in which he refused to endorse Pence.
“Well it’s far too… look, I love Mike. We’re running again,” Donald Trump said. “But you’re talking about a long time [from now]. So you can’t put me in that position.”
Trump said on Sunday that the question took him by surprise, but in his second opportunity to endorse Pence, Trump again demurred.
Mike Pence addressed the question on Sunday as well, saying in a CNN interview that he was not upset by Trump’s refusal to endorse him as they are both completely focused on winning re-election in 2020.
“That [Fox News] statement reflects, and I reflect, the fact that the only election [Trump] and I are focused on is 2020… That’s all we’re thinking about,” Pence said, via the Daily Mail.
Donald Trump’s initial refusal to endorse Mike Pence sparked speculation that the president’s own son, Donald Trump Jr., may be planning to run for president. Those rumors were revived on Sunday with his second refusal.
Pres. Trump says Vice Pres. Mike Pence doesn't automatically have his backing should he mount his own run for the White House in 2024. https://t.co/3lR7cfaQma
— ABC News (@ABC) June 14, 2019
As The Inquisitr had previously reported, there had been widespread rumors that Trump Jr. is being groomed for a run for president, with some of those hints coming directly from the Trump family. As Raw Story noted, Eric Trump had been asked in an interview if Don Jr. had political aspirations, and Eric noted that he could see a Trump family dynasty.
Trump: 'Surprise' question about Pence led him to hesitate https://t.co/0ohmeIsXkG pic.twitter.com/Jvn8k4ybBW
— CTV News (@CTVNews) June 23, 2019
If Donald Trump Jr. does end up running for president, he may have some competition within his own family. Others had pegged Ivanka Trump as a potential candidate one day, a rumor fueled by former top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn, In a book excerpt published by The Guardian, former top White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said he believes Ivanka has aspirations to live in the White House one day.
“She thinks she’s going to be president of the United States,” Cohn reportedly said.
