Former Vice-President of the United States, Mike Pence has officially declared to join an increasingly crowded field of Republicans running for president in the 2024 race.
Africa Today News, New York reports that Mr. Pence was deputy to the controversial former President Donald Trump with whom he served for four years before they were defeated by the Democrats led by current President Joe Biden.
While the move by Pence was seen as a welcomed development, this will pit him against his former boss Trump, who is currently polling well ahead of his competition.
Mr Pence, 63, is expected to formally launch his campaign with a video and speech on Wednesday (tomorrow).
Mr. Pence had last month testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that to talk about the private appearance before the grand jury, the person asked for anonymity. The US Department of Justice’s inquiry has reached a turning point with Pence’s appearance in Washington, DC, where he is questioning the president whom he once devotedly served.
It probably provides prosecutors with a crucial first-person description of several exchanges and occasions in the days before the deadly uprising at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. It also has important political ramifications because Pence has hinted that he would challenge Republican front-runner Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
The testimony came hours after a federal appeals court rejected a request by Trump’s attorneys to have Pence’s attendance blocked in a sealed order.
Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year but Trump’s lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns.