Nate Feltman: Vice President Pence opens up on podcast

The last three weeks in America have been unprecedented and quite unnerving: a disastrous debate performance by President Biden that called into question his ability to seek re-election, an epic failure by the Secret Service that nearly cost the life of former President Trump, Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race with just over 100 days until the election, and the Democrats rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris as their presumed presidential nominee.

It is in the context of these historic and chaotic events that I recently sat down with former Vice President Mike Pence for an interview on “Off the Record,” a podcast featuring Indiana’s most influential people. Given the recent string of events, it is easy to forget that it was just a few months ago that Pence was running for president of the United States.

As I prepared for the interview, I wanted to ensure that I covered questions I knew would be on listeners’ minds, but I wasn’t sure how candid the vice president would be in terms of his experiences working with Trump, including the now-notorious events of Jan. 6, 2021.

And given that nearly all Republicans have declared their allegiance to Trump (including those who formerly adamantly opposed and openly criticized him, such as J.D. Vance, Nikki Haley, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and every other Republican presidential primary contender), I was prepared to hear that Pence was coming around and that perhaps the events starting with Biden’s ill-fated debate with Trump had begun to swing the vice president into a reluctant Trump supporter. Would he change his mind and endorse Trump like so many others had?

Would I hear a very scripted, politically correct Mike Pence who was bending himself to the current ideology (or lack thereof) sweeping the Republican Party, or would I hear something different—possibly a more genuine, principled and reflective Mike Pence?

I started the interview asking him how he initially became interested in politics and public service. Surely he must have grown up in a Christian conservative household where his parents discussed religion and politics every day. But not so. Young Mike Pence idolized President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. and voted for President Jimmy Carter in 1980. I learned about how Pence began to change his political views and was drawn to the common-sense conservatism of President Ronald Reagan, including Reagan’s belief in limited government, fiscal conservatism and a strong national defense.

I moved on to his thoughts about today’s Republican Party and asked him what Reagan would think of today’s party, about his decision not to endorse Trump and whom he plans to vote for in the presidential election.

Of course, I had to ask him about the events of Jan. 6, 2021, and his decision to go against the president’s wishes and certify the 2020 presidential election results. Pence’s description of that fateful day and of his conversations with Trump and is riveting listening for those of us who care deeply about the American experiment and our republic.

With a presidential bid in the rearview mirror, and enough time and distance from Jan. 6, 2021, Pence is genuine, relaxed and clearly at peace with where he finds himself today. While you might not agree with him on every issue, it is hard not to respect him for staying true to himself and the principles he believes in.

Not only will you get to know the vice president’s principled views and leadership qualities, but you’ll get to know the man much better. Listen at Indiana250.com/podcast.•

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Feltman is publisher of IBJ and CEO of IBJ Media. Send comments to nfeltman@ibj.com.