Vice President's Press Secretary Refuses To Rule Out Mike Pence's 2020 Run

SECRETARY MARK LOUDER. YOU SAW THAT ARTICLE IN "NEW
YORK TIMES" AND CALLING THIS DISGRACEFUL, OFFENSIVE, FALSE,
LATEST ATTEMPT BY THE MEDIA TO DIVIDE THE ADMINISTRATION.
SOME MIGHT SEE THAT AND SAY, ME THINK THE VP DON'T PROTEST TOO
MUCH. >> HE DOES FIND IT VERY
OFFENSIVE. THE VICE PRESIDENT IS ENTIRELY
FOCUSED ON ADVANCING THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA AND DOING
EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT IN 2020, THE VICE PRESIDENT
IS RE-ELECTED AS VICE PRESIDENT ALONGSIDE PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP. >> WHAT IS SO OFFENSIVE ABOUT
IT? >> ANY SUGGESTION THAT HE MIGHT
BE, HE MIGHT BE PLANNING A RUN IN 2020.
HIS ENTIRE FOCUS IS ON ADVANCING THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA AND
TAKING THE STEPS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE'RE DELIVERING ON THE PROMISES TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
>> BUT RESPECTFULLY, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE ARTICLE SAYS.
THE ARTICLE POINTS OUT SOME OF THE STEPS THE VICE PRESIDENT HAS
TAKEN. HE DID, IN FACT, SET UP A PACT
AND MORE THAN DOUBLE THE MONEY RAISED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP'S PAC.
>> IVANKA TRUMP INTRODUCED THE VICE PRESIDENT AT A FUND-RAISING
EVENT. THIS IS ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON THEM
BEING TOGETHER. >> IS IT TRUE OR NOT TRUE THAT
HE WENT TO THE PIG ROAST IN IOWA.
THAT IS TRUE. THAT IS TRUE, RIGHT?
IS IT OR IT IS NOT TRUE THAT HE HAS BEEN MEETING WITH DONORS AT
HIS RESIDENCE? >> HE HAS BEEN MEETING WITH
BUSINESS -- >> I'M NOT SAYING HE IS GEARING
UP FOR A RUN AND I GET THAT YOU'RE PUSHING BACK ON THAT
IDEA. WHAT IS SO OFFENSIVE ABOUT
PUTTING ACTUAL CORRECT FACTS IN A PIECE AND LAYING THEM OUT IN
ARTICLE? >> IVANKA TRUMP INTRODUCED THE
VICE PRESIDENT AT THE FUND-RAISER AND THE FIRST CHECK
WAS TO THE PRESIDENT'S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
HE WENT TO IOWA AT THE REQUEST OF THE PRESIDENT TO SHOW SUPPORT
FOR SENATOR EARNEST. THERE'S A CONTEXT.
>> IT RIGHTFULLY NOTES HE HAS NOT EVEN PRIVATELY SAID HE TRIED
TO DISTANCE HIMSELF FROM THE PRESIDENT.
YET, THESE STEPS ARE HAPPENING. HYPOTHETICALLY, IF THE PRESIDENT
WERE FOR WHATEVER REASON DECIDE NOT TO RUN IN 2020, WHICH IS
SOMETHING THAT COULD HAPPEN, ARE YOU SAYING VICE PRESIDENT PENCE
WOULD NOT STEP UP AND TRY TO TAKE THAT ROLE?
>> I DON'T TALK ABOUT HYPOTHETICALS.
ALL I KNOW -- >> YOU DO TALK ABOUT
HYPOTHETICALS. WE TALK ABOUT HYPOTHETICALS ALL
THE TIME. ARE YOU RULING OUT THAT
POSSIBILITY? >> WE ARE ALL OPERATING UNDER
THE ASSUMPTION EVERY DAY THAT THE PRESIDENT IS SEEKING
RE-ELECTION IN 2020. THAT IS OUR GOAL AND THAT IS OUR
FOCUS ON DELIVERING HIS AGENDA AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE IN A
POSITION WHERE THE PRESIDENT CAN BE RE-ELECTED AND CONTINUE TO
LEAD THIS COUNTRY FOR ANOTHER FOUR AND A HALF, WELL, SEVEN AND
A HALF YEARS. >> TWO QUESTIONS.
WHY SO EARLY WOULD THESE INTERACTIONS WITH DONORS SET UP
A PAC, THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS INTO.
>> HE HAD POLITICAL ASSETS AND OPERATION THAT COULD NOT
TRANSLATE TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL WITHOUT THE CREATION OF A
FEDERALLY REGULATED INFRASTRUCTURE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU SAW IN DOING THAT.
THE BOTTOM LINE OF THAT LEADERSHIP IS THAT HE'S OUT
THERE SUPPORTING REPUBLICAN SENATORS AND HOUSE MEMBERS WHO
SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA. THIS PROVIDES HIM TO BE ABLE TO
TRAVEL TO GO TALK ABOUT THE NEED TO HAVE GOOD REPUBLICAN
LEADERSHIP THAT ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE PRESIDENT THROUGH THE
NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SOMETHING THAT VICE PRESIDENTS HAVE DONE THROUGHOUT THEIR
TENURE. >> SO, WHEN THIS PIECE FROM "NEW
YORK TIMES" SAYS SOME OF THE PRESIDENT'S ADVISORS ARE
INTIMATING PERHAPS TO HIGH-LEVEL REPUBLICANS.
REPUBLICAN DONORS IN THAT CLASS THAT THE VICE PRESIDENT WOULD BE
READY TO STEP IN, IF THE PRESIDENT WERE TO DECIDE NOT TO
RUN. IS THAT INCORRECT?
>> IT IS INCORRECT. >> SO THE VICE PRESIDENT IS NOT
READY TO STEP IN IF THE PRESIDENT WOULD DECIDE NOT TO
RUN. >> THOSE CONVERSATIONS DID NOT
HAPPEN THAT WAY AND IF DONORS OR TRUMPERS WHO MIGHT BE QUOTED IN
THERE MIGHT HAVE READ CONVERSATIONS DIFFERENTLY.
THE VICE PRESIDENT'S FOCUS. THE FOCUS OF HIS ENTIRE TEAM IS
HE SEEKING AND PUTTING HIM IN A POSITION TO BE RE-ELECTED.
>> THIS STATEMENT SLAMS FAKE NEWS AND SAYS IT IS FALSE AND
OFFENSIVE. IT SEEMS LIKE YOUR PROBLEM IS
MORE WITH SOME OF THE REPUBLICANS QUOTED IN THIS
PIECE. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH
CHARLIE DENT, HAVE YOU TALKED TO CHARLIE DENT ABOUT IT?
>> WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT'S SIDE.
FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT'S SIDE IN THIS ARTICLE IT IS HALF
TRUTHS. >> RESPECTFULLY, AGAIN, THOUGH,
SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE TRUE. THESE THINGS ARE TRUE, THOUGH.
HE IS RAISING MONEY AND MEETING WITH DONORS AND TRAVELING TO
STATES THAT TYPICALLY YOU DON'T TRAVEL TO UNLESS YOU'RE SETTING
THE STAGE FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP. >> BUT IF YOU DON'T INCLUDE THE
REST OF THE FACT THAT THESE HE'S DOING THAT WITH THE REST, YOU
DON'T HAVE THE FULL PICTURE. >> TAKE MORE ROBUST ROLE IN AN
ADMINISTRATION, I THINK ABOUT DICK CHENEY, FOR EXAMPLE.
NEVER BEEN A STATEMENT RELEASED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE PUSHING
BACK AGAINST AN ARTICLE LIKE THIS.
IS THIS AIMED AT AN AUDIENCE OF ONE.
SOMEONE SITTING IN BEDMINISTER RIGHT NOW AND READING "NEW YORK
TIMES" AND WHY THE VICE PRESIDENT MIGHT CREATE THE
SHADOW. >> THE ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUT
VICE PRESIDENT TRUMP AND PENCE IS THEY'LL SPEAK THEIR MINDS TO
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THINGS ARE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEX LT, OR,
IN FACT, FAKE NEWS. THE VICE PRESIDENT PUSHING BACK
STRONGLY AND EMFADICALLY. HE IS NOT ENGAGING IN SHADOW
OPERATION. >> WHY DIDN'T HE JUST WALK INTO
THE PRESIDENT'S OFFICE AND TELL HIM THAT?
WHY RELEASE A STATEMENT TO THE MEDIA ABOUT IT?
>> WHEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT APPEARS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF
SUNDAY "NEW YORK TIMES" BASED ON CONJECTURE, SPECULATION AND
SUGGESTING SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE.

Vice President's Press Secretary Refuses To Rule Out Mike Pence's 2020 Run | MSNBC

Latest Posts