Report: Pence Thought About Replacing Trump After ‘Access Hollywood’ Tape

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during a news conference at the Republican Governors Association annual conference Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Chase Stevens)
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Back in October 2016, when the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape first surfaced, Mike Pence, then the vice presidential candidate, thought about staging a coup and replacing Donald Trump on the Republican ticket, The Atlantic reported Tuesday morning, citing unnamed Republicans familiar with the situation.

Just hours after the Washington Post published the tape revealing Trump bragging about grabbing women “by the pussy,” Pence told the Republican National Committee that he was ready to take over for Trump, per The Atlantic. An aide to Pence denied to The Atlantic that Pence discussed becoming the nominee with the RNC.

The RNC began looking into replacing Trump, and top Republicans were talking about placing Pence at the top of the ticket with Condoleeza Rice as his running mate, The Atlantic reported. During the meeting in which Trump asked his top advisers how much the tape had damaged his prospects, Priebus told Trump that Pence and Rice were “ready to step in,” a person who was present told The Atlantic.

The plans reportedly discussed by Pence and the RNC never went into place, however. Trump remained on the ticket and won the race weeks later.

Pence has continued in his role of Trump defender for nearly a year, a task he privately acknowledged is challenging, according to The Atlantic. During the transition, Pence told a potential adviser in an interview that he was in the “difficult position” of having to “100 percent defend everything the president says, The Atlantic reported. Pence asked the prospective staffer, “Is that something you’re going to be able to do if you’re on my staff?”

Read The Atlantic’s full story here.

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Notable Replies

  1. Yeah, not sure that would have been legal. I don’t recall pence, the posterboy for whitebread homophobic stooges everywhere, winning any primaries.

  2. Ya ya probably should have done it, 'cause now you’re caught up in the Trump lie machine and will probably go down with the ship.
    That Trump stank will never wear off Mikey. You will always be the stooge who lied for the pussy grabber

  3. Pence: This is a lie. Trump is the best sexual assaulter there is.
    Pence’s Wife: He does have a very very foul mouth.

  4. Pence is stupid and venal. His marginal good looks and flat affect are all that he has going for him.

  5. One good thing about this story, true or not, is that it will enrage the Orange Idiot. He can’t stand having anyone around him who is not under his total dominion. Luckily, Pence has so much Trump stink on him at this point, his political career is over.

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