Campaign Report — Trump-Pence feud boils over

Welcome to The Hill's Campaign newsletter

View Online Campaign Report Campaign Report The Big Story  Trump-Pence feud boils over Mike Pence this week called out his former boss and what he sees as populism in the Republican Party, deepening the schism between the two men since leaving office.  © AP Photo/Alex Brandon Speaking in New Hampshire on Wednesday, Pence cast Trump as out of step with the Republican Party and argued that members of the party, at a crossroads, must choose between diverging characters.    "When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, he promised to govern as a conservative. And together we did. But it's important for Republicans to know that he and his imitators on this Republican primary make no such promise today," the former vice president said, according to The Associated Press. "The truth is Donald Trump, along with his imitators, often sound like an echo of the progressives they seek to replace."    The former vice president also cast the 2024 election as a fight for the future of the Republican Party.   "Should the new populism of the right seize and guide our party, the Republican Party we've long known will cease to exist and the fate of American freedom would be in doubt," Pence said.   Trump pushed back on Pence's remarks, writing on Truth Social that Pence was fabricating stories about him.     "I never said for him to put me before the Constitution – I don't talk that way, and wouldn't even think to suggest it," Trump wrote.    "For 7 years Mike Pence only spoke well of me. Now he's decided to go to the 'Dark Side.' Why didn't he do this years before, just like why didn't DOJ [Department of Justice] and Deranged Jack Smith bring these fake indictments three years ago," Trump said in another post on Truth Social. "Why did they wait until the middle of my campaign where I am beating DeSanctiminouoius and all others badly, and beating Biden in almost every Poll?"    Trump remains the clear front-runner in the 2024 GOP primary, while Pence has struggled to make up ground against the former president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and others.     Pence initially grappled with making the donor threshold needed to qualify for the first GOP debate, though he was ultimately able to meet the RNC debate criteria and attend. He's met the donor threshold needed to make it to the second debate.    Pence's comments mark an evolving shift in how to handle Trump, as the former vice president has increasingly become more comfortable taking Trump head-on. But whether Pence's criticism will resonate with enough voters remains to be seen.   Welcome to The Hill's Campaign Report, we're Caroline Vakil, Julia Manchester and Jared Gans. Each week we track the key stories you need to know to stay ahead of the 2024 election and who will set the agenda in Washington.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads  Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage: Megyn Kelly will interview Trump on radio show Megyn Kelly announced Thursday she will interview former President Trump next week. The interview will be the first Kelly has conducted with Trump since May 2016, which came amid a feud between them that reached a peak in 2015’s Republican primary campaigning. "It will be my first interview with a former president in seven years, and there is so much to get to. I’m really looking forward to this. It’s going …  Full Story Trump campaign rips Biden's EV plan as autoworkers ramp up strike threats Former President Trump’s campaign aimed its ire at the Biden administration’s plans to push for more Americans to use electric vehicles Thursday. "Joe Biden's Electric Vehicle mandate will murder the U.S. auto industry and kill countless union autoworker jobs forever, especially in Michigan and the Midwest," Trump's campaign said in a statement. "There is no such thing as a 'fair transition' to the destruction of …  Full Story Mental competency tests for politicians over 75 see overwhelming support: poll A new poll found that most Americans support a mandatory mental competency test for politicians older than 75.  The Economist/YouGov Poll, released this week, found that 76 percent of Americans strongly or somewhat support some form of a mandated competency test for politicians, compared to 13 percent who oppose any form of a test; 11 percent say they are unsure. The responses didn’t differ significantly along either …  Full Story The Countdown  Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: 37 days until Louisiana's gubernatorial primary   61 days until Kentucky and Mississippi's gubernatorial generals  425 days until the 2024 general election  On Our Watch  Republicans push impeachment in Wisconsin © AP Photo/Morry Gash, File Republicans are weighing the possibility of impeaching a newly elected liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, even though she hasn't heard any cases yet.    Republicans are taking issue with some of the opinions she offered ahead of her April election, in which she criticized the state's election maps and indicated her support of abortion access in the state. A lawsuit over the maps in Wisconsin has already been filed and a lawsuit over an 1849 law that effectively bans abortions in the state is expected to wind its way to the state Supreme Court.     Why it matters: Republicans are still reeling from Justice Janet Protasiewicz's win against conservative candidate Daniel Kelly in the vacant state Supreme Court race earlier this year. Her win tilted the partisan balance of the state's high court to a 4-3 liberal majority, dealing Republicans a blow.     Republicans argue that Justice Janet Protasiewicz should recuse herself from the election maps case, suggesting impeachment could be an option if not.     Democrats in Wisconsin on Wednesday announced a $4 million effort to counter Republicans' attempts in the state. The initiative and looming threat of impeachment underscore the rising importance of judicial races – especially in swing states in Wisconsin.  2024 Campaign Trail  Trump to visit South Dakota on Friday  © AP Photo/Steven Senne, File The former president is traveling to the Mount Rushmore State on Friday to participate in the South Dakota GOP's "Monumental Leaders Rally." The Rapid City event will feature Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who was initially speculated as a 2024 contender herself and now has been floated as a possible VP contender for Trump.    Noem has batted away speculation over presidential ambitions, including in June when she said "President Trump is in the race, and right now I don't see a path to victory for anybody else with him in the race and the situation as it sits today."     The two have some shared history. Trump endorsed Noem's reelection bid in 2022. It's not clear, however, when the former president might consider making an announcement for a VP pick.  In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill: 76 percent in new poll favor age cap for president About three-fourths of Americans say there should be a ceiling for how old someone can be to serve as president, according to a new The Economist/YouGov poll. Seventy-six percent of respondents said there should "be a maximum age for someone in the U.S. to serve as" president in the survey. A similar percentage said there should be a cap on that age to serve in the Senate and as a member of Congress in general.  Questions … Full Story Ohio court dismisses lawsuit over state's election maps, set to keep same lines in 2024 Ohio’s top court dismissed several challenges to the state’s election maps Thursday, leaving them in place for the 2024 election. The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed two cases Thursday regarding lawsuits to the state’s maps.  The first case centered on redistricting maps that were crafted after the 2020 Census. The first set of maps was tossed by the state’s high court, requiring new maps to be created … Full Story Around the Nation  Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections: Poll: Mississippians split on opinion of Donald Trump (Mississippi Today)  How redistricting trial could redraw Georgia's political map (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)  What We're Reading  Election news we've flagged from other outlets: Ron DeSantis' Super PAC Thinks It Has Cracked the Code on Delivering His Message (Politico Magazine)  Trump escalates false attacks on Biden as some Republicans push toward impeachment (The Washington Post)  Elsewhere Today  Key stories on The Hill right now: Willis accuses Jordan of 'illegal intrusion' into Georgia Trump prosecution in scathing letter Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis (D) penned a scathing letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) after he asked her to turn over all documents related to her prosecution of former President Trump and 18 others on charges related to election interference. The nine-page letter at turns accuses Jordan of "offend[ing]" … Read more Biden trails Haley, polling neck-and-neck with other Republicans A new poll from CNN is providing bad news for the White House and President Biden, who scores just a 39 percent approval rating a little more than a year before Election Day. Sixty-one percent disapprove of Biden’s job performance in the poll, and his approval rating is down from 45 percent in CNN’s polling at the beginning … Read more What People Think  Opinions related to campaigns and elections submitted to The Hill: Republicans just can't stop calling for civil war Pete Buttigieg is fixing his racial record at the expense of US transportation Why Trump must drop out   You're all caught up. See you next time!  Check out The Hill's Campaign page for the latest coverage. Like this newsletter? Take a moment to view our other topical products here 📩 Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe 1625 K Street NW, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Copyright © 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

If you believe this has been sent to you in error, please safely unsubscribe.