As he campaigns more and more ahead of the midterm elections, Vice President Mike Pence is also building up his own political toolbox that could come in handy down the road.
- VP has own political action committee
- Political expert says he must balance loyalty with behind the scenes work
- Pence becoming 'front and center' as party leader, expert says
"It's been a year and a half of promises made and promises kept!" Pence declared, speaking at an event in Kansas City last Wednesday.
Later that day, he traveled to Iowa where he touted what he called "the largest tax cuts" by the Trump administration.
"He is really a strong sort of both candidate and presence for the party at that level," said Dr. Lara Brown, the director of George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management.
Air Force Two spent much of last week zigzagging across the Midwest.
Pence is pushing hard for Republicans to win in November, while also talking up the Trump agenda in a much more disciplined way than his boss.
"Most Republicans are happy to have Vice President Pence because he does offer them sort of another imprint of the White House and its policy direction without kind of this controversy and without the problems that the president does bring with him when he goes on the trail," Brown said.
Brown said the vice president has been smart in his strategy. He remains extremely loyal to President Trump in public, while strategically working behind the scenes to build up his own political standing in a party he's been committed to for decades.
"And it's putting him really front and center as a party leader," Brown said. "And as someone who the party can turn to when President Trump becomes too controversial."
The vice president has his own political action committee.
And each campaign stop for his fellow Republicans means more facetime with voters and donors.
But Brown said the challenge for Pence will be separating himself from Trump as time goes on, without overstepping his boundaries as the president's right-hand man.
"The problem with being an heir apparent is you oftentimes need to distance yourself enough from the current administration to say that you're bringing change, but then you need to align yourself close enough to keep that coalition alive and in place," Brown said.
Pence capped off his week of campaigning in Chicago last Friday, while Trump continued to make waves during his trip to Europe.