Pence in the spotlight amid Trump indictment

Former Vice President Mike Pence hit the campaign trail Wednesday with a different kind of spotlight on him than the rest of the presidential field — as a central figure in Trump’s third indictment. 

Pence or the vice presidency were mentioned more than 100 times in the indictment detailing Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election, per a count from the Washington Post. And on Wednesday, Pence tried to balance defending his actions with a desire to move on as he tries to appeal to a GOP base that is largely loyal to Trump. 

“I can’t assess whether or not the government has the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt what they assert in the indictment. And the president is entitled to a presumption of innocence,” Pence told reporters at the Indiana State Fair, per NBC News’ Sarah Dean. “But for my part, I want people to know that I had no right to overturn the election.” 

Pence’s break with Trump over the 2020 election has put him at odds with many GOP primary voters, and the former vice president has struggled to garner enough donors so far to qualify for the first primary debate this month. 

Pence’s campaign did stress to donors in a Wednesday Zoom call that he has been steadily building his donor base, and the campaign expects to reach the 40,000-donor threshold by the end of next week.

Even if Pence makes the debate stage, it’s possible he won’t come face-to-face with Trump, who has signaled he isn’t likely to participate. But Pence and Trump could clash again in the courtroom. 

Asked Wednesday if he would testify in Trump’s criminal trial, Pence said, “Well, I testified under a subpoena before the grand jury. I’m someone that believes in the rule of law. But look — I have nothing to hide.” 

In other campaign news… 

Telling responses: Republican presidential candidates’ responses to Trump’s indictment “are sending a pretty clear message: Trump’s actions were more just than those of the justice system,” NBC News’ Jonathan Allen writes.

Shaking it off: NBC News’ Matt Dixon, Katherine Doyle, Allan Smith and Henry J. Gomez report on how Trump World “remained calm” amid the new indictment “in large part because they knew it was coming.” 

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For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

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Obama’s warning: During a private lunch in late June, former President Barack Obama pledged to help Biden’s re-election and expressed concerns about Trump’s “political strengths,” per the Washington Post. 

Biden’s decision: NBC News’ Peter Nicholas, Carol E. Lee, Monica Alba and Mike Memoli delve into the backstory behind Biden’s decision to publicly acknowledge his seventh grandchild.

Bringing in the cavalry: Biden has tapped new finance co-directors and a grassroots fundraising director for his re-election bid, Politico reports. 

DeSantis vs. Disney continues: A board controlled by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees that oversees Disney World’s governing district eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion programs on Tuesday. 

Switching teams? The Orlando Magic donated $50,000 to Never Back Down, a super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid, CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports. The Magic is partially owned by members of the DeVos family and Betsy DeVos served as Trump’s Education Secretary, but a spokesperson for the team confirmed that the donation, dated days before DeSantis launched his presidential bid, “was given as a Florida business in support of a Florida governor for the continued prosperity of Central Florida.”

Red state vs. blue state: DeSantis joined Fox News’ Sean Hannity live Wednesday night, where he agreed to a live, televised debate between himself and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The debate was framed by Hannity as a “policy-based debate, you know, red vs. blue,” and a spokesman for Newsom confirmed they were committed, even having gone so far as to send a letter with proposed debate rules to DeSantis.

Ramaswamy and the 9/11 Commission: Tech entrepreneur and GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy said this week during an interview “Do I believe the 9/11 Commission? Absolutely not,” Politico reports. After the interview, he tweeted that “we have never fully addressed who knew what in the Saudi government about [the 9/11 attacks].”

Party’s over? Republican state parties across the country “have become shells of their former machines amid infighting and a lack of organization,” Politico reports.

Reeves hits back: Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves is out with a new TV ad responding to recent attacks from his Democratic opponent, Brandon Presley, calling it “100% false” and arguing “Reeves had nothing to do with the [state’s welfare] scandal.”