In the immediate aftermath of his abrupt cancellation of an event in New Hampshire, the reasons for Vice President Mike Pence’s reversal are still unknown.
The White House has stayed mum on why Pence was called back to the White House, declining to elaborate at all on the reason for the change of plans.
Officials would not even provide clarity on whether or not Pence was already midair in Air Force Two when he was called to return.
According to the Boston Globe, Massachusetts commiteeman Tom Mountain said that Secret Service told him President Donald Trump ordered Pence back to Washington mid-flight.
ABC News’ Meridith McGraw reported on Twitter that Pence was on his plane but that it never took off:
VP's Chief of Staff Marc Short just said that the VP was on AF2 at JBA when he was called back. The plane never took off. VP joined POTUS at the WH for "other high level meetings." Issue was "not a national security" but VP discussed whatever it was with POTUS "briefly."
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) July 2, 2019
Another ABC reporter added that Short said, cryptically, that reporters would find out “in a few weeks” what the delay was about.
Pence’s COS Marc Short told @meridithmcgraw that the Vice President was on the plane but it didn’t take off. Then he turned around, back to the White House. He told her we’ll find out “in a few weeks” what happened.
— Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) July 2, 2019
Pence’s press secretary had maintained that he had never left Washington from her first statement.
Something came up that required the @VP to remain in Washington, DC. It’s no cause for alarm. He looks forward to rescheduling the trip to New Hampshire very soon.
— Alyssa Farah (@VPPressSec) July 2, 2019
White House spokesman Judd Deere echoed the message from the Vice President’s office, almost word for word. He did not provide any on the record answers about the President’s health, or rumors that Russian President Vladimir Putin has just called an emergency meeting.
“VP’s office has already commented on this,” he told TPM. “Something came up and the VP needed to be in D.C. – there is no cause for alarm.”
The Vice President is reportedly in the White House now.
