Former Vice President Mike Pence has not filed paperwork to run for president in 2024 despite a filing with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, a spokesperson confirmed.
A filing with the FEC that was processed on Monday indicated that Pence had officially thrown his hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential nomination, according to the agency’s website. However, a spokesperson for the former vice president quickly shot down the speculation, confirming in a short statement on Twitter that Pence “did not file to run for President today.”
It’s not clear who filed the paperwork on Pence’s behalf, with the former vice president’s spokesperson suggesting it may have been a prank, according to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman. The Washington Examiner has reached out to O’Malley for further comment but has not yet received a response.
Former President Donald Trump remains the only Republican so far to declare his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election, launching his bid in mid-November shortly after the midterm elections. Despite the apparent false start that played out this evening, Pence is expected to join his former boss in the 2024 GOP race.
The Republican primary field is expected to be crowded in 2024, with several GOP rising stars such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley expected to throw their hats in the ring.
Pence has long hinted at a presidential run in 2024, telling supporters in mid-November he has been giving the decision “prayerful consideration.”
“I think we’ll have better choices in the future,” he told ABC’s “World News Tonight.” “For me and my family, we’ll be reflecting about what our role is in that.”
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Trump responded to a possible Pence bid earlier this year, warning the former vice president and other members of his Cabinet that it would be “very disloyal” to launch a 2024 White House against him.
“Many of them have said they would never run if I run, so we’ll see if that turns out to be true,” Trump told Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade on Oct. 21. “I think it would be very disloyal if they did, but that’s OK, too.”