Mike Pence has been unflinchingly loyal to Trump -- and now it's coming back to haunt him: report

Vice President Mike Pence has been one of President Donald Trump's most loyal foot soldiers -- but now that loyalty is reportedly coming back to haunt him.

Politico reports that Pence has long harbored ambitions of running for the White House, but those ambitions may now be permanently on hold due to Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election.

In particular, sources close to Pence say that Pence will likely hold off on a run for president should Trump decide to launch another campaign in four years.

"Should Trump launch a campaign for a non-consecutive second term -- something he’s privately mused about, according to a person familiar with the discussions -- allies of the vice president believe he will sit out the next presidential cycle unless he’s on the ticket again himself," the publication writes.

However, it's an open question whether Trump would want Pence to serve as his running mate again -- especially since Pence will be overseeing a joint session of Congress in January in which Trump will be declared the loser of the 2020 election.