Pence plans to skip town on a foreign trip after confirming Biden's win: report

On Thursday, POLITICO reported that outgoing Vice President Mike Pence plans to leave the country shortly after presiding over the receipt of President-elect Joe Biden's electoral votes in Congress.

"As vice president, Pence has the awkward but unavoidable duty of presiding over the session of Congress that will formalize Biden’s Electoral College victory — a development that is likely to expose him and other Republicans to the wrath of GOP voters who believe President Donald Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen from him," reported Gabby Orr and Nahal Toosi. "But Pence could dodge their ire by leaving Washington immediately for the Middle East and Europe. According to three U.S. officials familiar with the planning, the vice president is eyeing a foreign trip that would take him overseas for nearly a week, starting on Jan. 6."

"On the surface, the trip is part of a push to underscore the Trump administration’s role in brokering a series of diplomatic agreements to normalize relations between Israel and a handful of Arab countries, including Bahrain," said the report. "But for Pence, visiting these countries is also a way to bolster already-strong credentials with the Christian right, which strongly supports Israel. And it allows Pence — once again — to put distance between himself and Trump’s complaints about the election outcome that are likely to intensify after Congress affirms Biden’s win."

This is not the first time that Pence has sought to remove himself from under Trump's brand in recent weeks. He has not been visible during Trump's efforts to prove election fraud — and the campaign even appeared to drop him from their logo in fundraising requests.

Pence has been dogged by speculation he may run for president in 2024, but it may depend on whether Trump decides to launch a third campaign — which he has hinted but not committed to.