Mike Pence Is Preparing to Give His First Public Address Since Leaving Office
In his first public address since the end of the Trump administration, former Vice President Mike Pence is traveling to South Carolina to speak to a conservative Christian nonprofit in the state that plays a crucial role in the presidential nominating process.
Next month, Pence will keynote a dinner hosted by the Palmetto Family Council in Columbia, a Pence aide told The Associated Press on Sunday. The aide spoke on the condition of anonymity due to a lack of permission to discuss the plans publicly.
The Palmetto Family Council lobbies for biblical values, such as traditional marriage, and most recently helped push through a ban on most abortions in South Carolina. That law is now being challenged in court.
The group says on its website that it is “fighting for a South Carolina where God is honored, religious freedom flourishes, families thrive and life is cherished.”
Pence, who since leaving the administration has been doing work with the Heritage Foundation and Young America’s Foundation, has not indicated if he plans a future run for office, but his choice of making his post-administration debut in South Carolina helps set down a marker for a potential 2024 presidential bid.
The state holds the first presidential primaries in the South, and candidates of both major parties typically spend more than a year in the state ahead of those votes, introducing themselves and trying to secure support.
As vice president, Pence made numerous trips to South Carolina, meeting several times with Gov. Henry McMaster for coronavirus-related forums. He also recently campaigned in the state for U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace.
Throughout his political career, beginning as an Indiana congressman and then governor, Pence has long advocated for restrictions on abortion and has voiced support for the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
The speech to the Palmetto Family Council is advantageous for Pence in a state that Republican candidates use as a proving ground to test their pro-life mettle.
The Pence aide described the former vice president’s speech as one that will focus on traditional conservative views but will also tout what Pence sees as the accomplishments of the Trump administration.
According to Dave Wilson, president of the Palmetto Family Council, Pence will speak to between 450 and 600 guests at a ticketed, sponsored dinner at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center on April 29.
Wilson told AP that he considered Pence a “prime person” to address the organization due to the “level of faith” the former vice president embodied while in office.
“Vice President Mike Pence … is very reflective of the ideas, policies and direction that we at Palmetto Family want to see in South Carolina: bringing faith to the forefront and growing the next generation of conservative leaders for our state,” Wilson said.
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The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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