Mr. Pence, after listening with hands clutching his belt, offered a forceful rebuttal. Digging into the polls suggests why: About one in three potential Republican primary voters views Mr. Pence unfavorably. base that embraces Mr. Trump and his continued lying about the 2020 election blames Mr. Pence for his actions on Jan. 6, when he refused to block certification of the results. No vice president in American history ever asserted the authority that you have been convinced that I had. Still, the exchange was a crucial moment for Mr. Pence, in the eyes of the candidate, his campaign, a super PAC that supports him and outside Republican strategists.

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Persons: Pence, Mike Pence, Joe Biden, Joe Biden shouldn’t, Trump, Donald J, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence’s, that’s, — I’ve, he’s, Ronald Reagan Organizations: Republican, Trump, Gov, Trump Republicans Locations: Florida