'Republican Rising Star' Pence Misses Trump's First Official Appearance

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has declined an invitation to the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) to be held in Orlando, Florida from the 25th to the 28th.

According to Fox News and others on the 21st (local time), CPAC is the first official public appearance of former President Donald Trump since leaving office. Trump is expected to reveal his plans for the future of the Republican Party on the 28th and strongly criticize President Biden's immigration policies.

Fox News, citing sources, reported that former Vice President Pence was also invited as a speaker at this conference but declined. Once considered a leading 'Trump loyalist,' he turned his back on Trump, who continued his refusal campaign after the election, ultimately breaking ties by the end of his term.

Pence, regarded as a potential future leader of the Republican Party, is currently staying in his home state of Indiana and gearing up for a presidential bid. According to major foreign media, he is preparing to launch an independent organization for fundraising and has joined the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation as a distinguished visiting fellow.

Local media expect that Pence will minimize his exposure to the media for the time being and will not publicly comment on his future plans. The U.S. congressional media outlet The Hill reported, "(He) plans to limit media exposure for at least six months after leaving office."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.