BBC - Is Mike Pence distancing himself from Trump?

[TomCADem]

The interesting question is whether Pence was merely complicit in Trump's cover-up or was Pence was actively trying to egg-on Trump to push him over the edge so that he could grab the Presidency.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39979279

In the White House game of thrones, where senior administration officials fend off adversaries at every turn while vying for power and prominence, Mike Pence has been a relatively quiet player.

The vice-president is always in the background, often looking over Donald Trump's shoulder with an approving nod as the president delivers a speech or signs yet another executive order. When it comes to engaging in the bare-knuckle brawling that has played itself out through anonymous sources and well-timed insider leaks, however, the vice-president and his associates have largely stayed out of the fray.

Thursday night, then, was quite unusual. Two major US media outlets - CNN and NBC News - ran articles, complete with quotes from anonymous White House sources, distancing the vice-president from the current chaos in the administration and the running controversy over possible Trump campaign ties to the Russian government during the 2016 US presidential election.

"We certainly knew we needed to be prepared for the unconventional," an unnamed Pence aide told CNN's Elizabeth Landers, but "not to this extent". The proximate cause for the concern among the vice-president's camp was a New York Times article earlier this week reporting that Michael Flynn, Mr Trump's prominent campaign surrogate and short-lived national security adviser, had in early January informed the presidential transition team - then headed by Mr Pence - that he was under investigation for his ties to the Turkish government.

[Jacquette]

1. If I weren't so exhausted by all

this I might believe tptb are sending Pence a message: You're in this. Up to your silver, pretty little head. We know it. Don't get too comfortable reaching for the throne.

Things ARE leaking this week re #2 & 3 in the line of succesion. Pretty Mthrfkr shouldn't get too comfortable either.

[canetoad]

3. Could be right

Not being from the US, don't know much about Pence, besides what I've read, but the impression is of a not-too-bright character deliberately trying to hang below the radar.

Welcome to DU

[Jacquette]

6. Lol thx!

Great msg board.

[Samantha]

2. Perhaps Pence took Lawrence O'Donnell's advice and got himself a lawyer

I am thinking that one of the first things a lawyer would tell Pence is to put as much distance as he can between Trump and himself. Just my speculation....

But it does look like this monster chain of events has driven matters to the point where it is now every man or woman for him or herself.

Sam

[NanceGreggs]

4. He doesn't need to "distance" himself ...

... because he wasn't in the loop and had NO IDEA what was going on - ever, about anything.

DUH!!!

[Cha]

5. Like every man for himself.. and you're

radio-active toxic, trump?

But, if you have "approving nods" then that means you approve of this shit show.