WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he will make a decision “by the spring” about whether to seek the presidency and suggested that he would pledge to support the eventual GOP nominee if that’s a condition of participating in primary debates.
“If I’m a candidate, I’m sure I’ll meet whatever the requirement is for debates,” Pence told NBC News in an exclusive interview.
As for his timing, Pence said he has a little while before he has to make a decision. “We’re listening, we’re reflecting, we’re talking to firms,” Pence said, adding that “by the spring, our family expects to have a very clear sense of our calling.”
His timing could be complicated by special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into former President Donald Trump. Smith is asking a federal judge to compel Pence to testify before a grand jury about Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021, effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.