A strange chapter in the story of the 2024 presidential election was added Monday, as a filing with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) made it appear as if former Vice President Mike Pence was formally beginning a campaign for the White House. However, after reporters looked into the story behind the document, it turned out to be a fake.
Twitter lit up Monday evening with the news that Pence had apparently thrown his hat into the 2024 GOP primary ring. Then, Pence spokesman Devin O’Malley confirmed officially on the social media platform that “Former Vice President Mike Pence did not file to run for President today.”
The FEC submission was made through an online portal on Monday and came in from someone claiming to be “Mike Richard Pence.” Vice President Pence’s full first name is “Michael.”
The filing also listed a campaign committee named “Mike Pence for President” with a post office box in Anderson, Indiana, for its address.
I think someone pranked you
— Devin O'Malley (@devin_omalley) December 26, 2022
O’Malley responded to one Twitter user by saying, “I think someone pranked you.” He referred media members to the FEC regarding questions about the unusual filing. In turn, the FEC said that it “cannot comment on specific filings.”
During an interview with ABC last month, Pence suggested that he is considering a run for the White House in the 2024 Republican primary elections. He said he planned to discuss the prospects of running with his family over the holiday season.
This month, Pence told Fox News that if he runs for office again, it would only be for the office of president and not for the Senate seat from Indiana that will be open in 2024. He said, “I think if we were ever to step forward to serve the American people that would be to take all the experience that we’ve had and run for national office.”
Pence downplayed his desire to run for president at the same time. He said, “You know, somebody asked me the other day if I ever thought about running for president and I said, ‘No more or no less than any other kid that grew up with a cornfield in his backyard.’”
The only major candidate to formally declare a 2024 White House bid is President Donald Trump, who announced his campaign at his Mar-a-Lago residence last month shortly after Election Day.
