Pence to pitch traditional GOP values and post-Trump future at RNC donor retreat
Barnini Chakraborty
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Former Vice President Mike Pence is expected to tell a room full of GOP donors Friday night that the party needs to look to the future if it wants to win, not rely on candidates who are consumed with litigating past election losses.
Pence will be speaking at the Republican National Committee’s donor retreat in Nashville on Friday night. A handful of other presidential hopefuls are also expected to be in attendance, including former President Donald Trump.
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Pence is also expected to tell donors that Republicans deserve a better choice on who will lead the country.
His not-so-subtle digs at his former boss, who has refused to accept that he lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, comes as speculation grows around Pence seriously considering a 2024 presidential run.
A source close to the former vice president said the theme of his speech will be rebuilding the Republican Party to embrace traditional values, such as a strong national defense, limited government, and individual liberty, while also adding new priorities like border security, free and fair trade, and threats from China.
Pence is also expected to pitch the 2024 race as not only a contest of candidates but also a conflict of visions, with one being rooted in Republican principles and another embracing a win-at-any-cost mentality at the expense of the values the Republican Party was built on.
His speech to donors comes after a bruising day where he was met with a chorus of boos during a 20-minute speech at the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action forum in his home state of Indiana. As he walked onto the stage, the boos, as well as cheers, could be heard.
“I love you, too,” Pence joked.
Friday’s RNC event, which has been in the works for months, comes at an inopportune time for Republicans in Tennessee who have been battling a barrage of negative headlines, including the Covenant School shooting, the expulsion of two black Democratic lawmakers, accusations of racism, and calls from small business owners to refuse service to the GOP because of its stance on guns.
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In Indiana, Pence told members of the NRA to “stand your ground,” but it’s unclear if he will keep that same tone in Nashville.
Other prominent Republicans expected to attend the Nashville retreat include Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rick Scott (R-FL), Govs. Bill Lee (R-TN), Brian Kemp (R-GA), and Chris Sununu (R-NH), and Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY).