New efforts seeking to refocus and preserve the MAGA underway, with former hardline Trump immigration aide Stephen Miller rolling out a new group to put pressure on the Joe Biden agenda and prominent ex-White House aides signing up for a new advocacy group by Mike Pence.
Miller, who helped design and sell Trump’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy at the border, is organizing to use the courts and public pressure to try to put a check on Biden in what he terms ‘resisting the radical left’s agenda ‘
He told the Wall Street Journal that anything ‘that we believe to be illegal is fair game.’
Former Vice President Mike Pence has formed a new group to tout the Trump-Pence agenda. He is considered a candidate for president in 2024. Trump raged at him in leading up to the electoral count, and blasted him in a Jan. 6th tweet
His effort comes a day after he blasted out a picture of himself and Trump taken inside Trump’s office at Mar-a-Largo, which Trump has used to send out a flurry of fiery statements attacking Biden as well as the media and ‘woke’ corporations as he plots his own political future.
Pence, who unfailingly praised Trump during their four years together in the White House, is launching a new advocacy organization called Advancing American Freedom – and its advisory board includes several figures who advised Donald Trump in the White House.
Among those getting behind the effort, which coincides with Pence’s return to the political stage with an event this month in battleground South Carolina, are former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway and former chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow.
Those backing the effort aren’t necessarily signing up for a potential Pence run for the White House in 2024 – and former President Donald Trump, who isn’t ruling out his own run for reelection – has given the group his public blessing.
Trump himself touted the effort, the Washington Examiner reported in a story that spelled out Pence’s plans – although Trump’s brief statement notably did not specifically single out Pence for praise.
Trump’s statement said: ‘It was the most successful first term in American history. Nice to see Mike highlighting some of our many achievements!’
The effort by Pence to cheer the accomplishments of his and Trump’s tenure comes as Trump continues to consolidate his own influence in the Republican Party despite the Capitol riot that led to his second impeachment and a trial that featured video of rioters calling to ‘hang Mike Pence.’
Also signing on is former White House budget director Russ Vought who tweeted the day after the Jan. 6th Capitol riot that he was ‘greatly saddened by the violence and loss of life at the Capitol Building yesterday. We believe in the rule of law and should abide by it.’
Former Trump aide Stephen Miller is forming a new legal group to stymie Joe Biden’s agenda
Former counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway is advising Pence’s group
‘It was the most successful first term in American history. Nice to see Mike highlighting some of our many achievements!’ said Trump in a statement
He told the Wall Street Journal that anything ‘that we believe to be illegal is fair game’ as his group targets the Biden agenda
Strains between Trump and Pence came to the forefront during the Capitol riot
His last tweet came the day before Trump left office, where he said serving as Trump’s director of the Office and Management and Budget had been the ‘honor of a lifetime.’
Another backer is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who said on Fox News he was ‘furious’ after the riot, where MAGA supporters occupied the congressional office he once held, terming the perpetrators ‘barbarians.’
‘I was furious. I am furious,’ Gingrich told the network.
Conway has been advising Pence since he left office at the end of August 2020, having advised Trump since managing his 2016 campaign.
Others serving on the group’s board include former Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, a former conservative House member, Club for Growth President David McIntosh, and former Sen. Rick Santorum, who like Pence also served in the House.
‘Advancing American Freedom plans to build on the success of the last four years by promoting traditional conservative values and promoting the successful policies of the Trump administration,’ Pence said.
Trump raged at Trump in the days leading up to when Congress met to count the electoral vote, as Pence resisted Trump’s effort to overturn votes certified by states.
Trump tweeted while the Capitol riot was underway: ‘Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!
