What Is Mike Pence Doing Now? A Look at His Life and Career After Leaving the White House
Since leaving office, Mike Pence has written two books and distanced himself from former president Donald Trump.
Updated Nov. 5 2024, 1:13 p.m. ET
Since leaving the White House, former Vice President Mike Pence has sought to separate himself from his former running mate, former president Donald Trump. He has publicly backed candidates in Republican primaries who opposed Trump's choices and has even criticized Trump's actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
And now, with the 2024 U.S. presidential election upon us, Pence has reemerged on the political stage. So, what's he up to these days? Here's everything you need to know about Mike Pence's current activities.
What is Mike Pence doing now?
Just days before Election Day 2024, Mike Pence delivered remarks as part of Dartmouth's 2024 Election Speaker Series, calling for a return to civility in politics. He also reiterated his decision not to endorse his former boss, Donald Trump, for president.
However, Pence, a staunch conservative, made it clear that he could "never" vote for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, his successor as vice president. He chose not to reveal how he would cast his ballot in the upcoming election.
"I'm staying out of it because I'm concerned about the direction of the Republican Party," Pence said. "I feel like the party — some voices in our party — are starting to pull back from supporting our allies, notably in Eastern Europe, and that they're marginalizing the right to life."
Throughout his speech, Pence emphasized key policy priorities, including reducing the national debt, increasing defense spending, and reforming entitlement programs.
He also discussed revamping the civil service system to give incoming administrations — whether Republican or Democrat — more flexibility in staffing agencies with individuals who "share and will move on the agenda that they were elected to advance."
Mike Pence has also published two books.
On Nov. 15, 2022, Pence released his memoir, So Help Me God, published by Simon & Schuster. According to the book's official summary, it follows "the chronicle of the events and people who forged Mike Pence's character," including "President Trump's severing of their relationship on Jan. 6, 2021, when Pence kept his oath to the Constitution."
Just a week later, he kicked off a national book tour at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indiana, per Yahoo! Entertainment. He continued promoting the book through interviews and public appearances over the following months.
Then, on Nov. 14, 2023, Pence released his second book, Go Home for Dinner: Advice on How Faith Makes a Family and Family Makes a Life. The book serves as an in-depth, practical guide to balancing life's demands with the deep satisfaction that comes from committing to family.
The official summary states, "In this personal account, former Vice President Mike Pence champions one of his most deeply held beliefs: That faith makes a family, and family makes a life. And, through straightforward advice and personal storytelling, he shows readers how to do the same."
Mike Pence attempted to run for president but dropped out in October 2023.
In June 2023, Mike Pence announced his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. However, he withdrew by the end of October. As mentioned earlier, Pemce chose not to endorse Donald Trump in the general election. As a result, Trump decided against selecting Pence as his running mate once more, opting instead for JD Vance.
Pence did not attend the 2024 Republican National Convention, and on Aug. 9, 2024, reaffirmed his position, stating once again that he would not endorse Donald Trump. He also reiterated that he would not support Kamala Harris following Joe Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race
