Mike Pence has declined to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
The news: A source familiar with CPAC’s event planning told Fox News that organizers had invited the former vice president to speak, but the he turned down the opportunity.
- Trump, however, is expected to speak at the Feb. 28 event in his first public appearance since leaving office.
The conference kicked off Thursday in Orlando, Florida and will end on Sunday.
What is going on with Pence and Trump these days? Despite the media’s characterization of Pence as the ultimate Trump loyalist, tensions between him and the former president reportedly flared in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
- According to reports, Trump was displeased by Pence’s refusal to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote, which he claimed was the final backstop against Joe Biden’s allegedly fraud-ridden Nov. 3 victory.
- Meanwhile, Fox News reported that Pence was angry that Trump failed to show concern for his safety at the riot, during which protesters chanted “hang Mike Pence.”Â
- But the two Republican grandees have made peace, according to Pence’s former chief of staff.
Pence has kept a low profile since leaving office, joining the Young America’s Foundation as a scholar and the Heritage Foundation as a fellow.
