Pence navigates Trump’s shadow during New Hampshire visit

It had all the traditional trappings of a day on the presidential campaign trail. There was a fundraiser, time spent schmoozing with local activists, two holiday parties, a speech and a visit to a local bakery, where Mike Pence posed for pictures and bought a slice of cake for a driver who was celebrating her birthday while ferrying his staff.

But the former vice president said the tightly scheduled swing through New Hampshire on Wednesday was simply focused on next year’s midterms, when control of Congress is at stake.

“To be honest with you, all of my focus is on 2022 because I think we’ve got a historic opportunity for not just a winning election, but a realignment election,” he told The Associated Press. “So I’m dedicating all of my energy to the process of really winning back the Congress and winning statehouses in 2022. And then in 2023, we’ll look around and we’ll go where we’re called.”

His approach belies the fact that Pence isn’t just any Republican courting the voters and activists in this state that helps decide presidential nominations. He’s arguably tied more closely to former President Donald Trump than any other Republican eyeing the White House. While that should be a boon in a party dominated by Trump loyalists, it’s a unique vulnerability for Pence, who is blamed by some supporters of the former president who wrongly believe he could have prevented Joe Biden from assuming the presidency in January.

Adding to the complexity is the prospect that Trump may also run again in 2024. At least for now, polls suggest he would run away with the GOP nomination.

That leaves Pence, whose life was threatened by Trump supporters at the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in a bind. Some fellow Republicans considering a campaign, including former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, have said they won’t run if Trump moves forward. Others, such as former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have dismissed the notion that a Trump candidacy should automatically clear the field.

Pence is opting for a middle ground, spending much of his time talking up his and Trump’s time in office and insisting the two parted ways on good terms. In interviews, for instance, he declined to take a side in the GOP primary for governor in Georgia, which features incumbent Brian Kemp against Trump-backed challenger and former Sen. David Perdue. He similarly sidestepped the question of what Trump’s calculations mean for him.

But he’s clear that he’s not waiting for his old boss to make a decision as he travels the country, delivers speeches and raises money.

“Come 2023, we’ll reflect, we’ll pray and we’ll respond to that calling, whatever that is,” he said.

Much of Trump’s base remains livid that Pence refused the former president’s demand to block certification of the 2020 election — something he did not have power to do. And critics of Trump are unlikely to embrace a man who almost never voiced disagreement with the former president and who continues to yoke himself to that administration.

Still, on Wednesday, Pence was greeted warmly during his second New Hampshire visit since leaving office.

In a speech sponsored by the conservative…