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President Donald Trump recently asked advisors if vice president Mike Pence was loyal, according to people close to the talks cited by the New York Times on Friday.
The question, which, according to the Times, has been asked several times, has alarmed councilors and may indicate possible doubts about what Trump might have about his second.
Some people at the White House described Pence as a loyal supporter of the president, and Pence himself made it clear publicly that he was committed to Trump and his program.
According to the Times, outside advisers have suggested that Mr. Pence is not an important candidate for the 2020 presidential election.
The advisers who pitched the idea believe that Trump should pick a vice-presidential candidate that will appeal to the voters – a demographic group Trump is struggling to appeal – despite claims that he "is already managing good with women ".
Other sources told the Times that Trump's investigation of Pence's loyalty actually referred to Nick Ayers' attachment to his cause. Ayers, the chief of staff of Pence, would be a favorite to replace the White House chief of staff, John Kelly, who would have long been the subject of a rumor.
Trump reacted Saturday morning to the report, telling reporters in front of the White House that Pence was "100% loyal" and was a "soldier" in the administration.
Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley has dismissed speculation about Trump's alleged doubts about Pence, saying the president "totally supports the vice president and thinks he's does incredible work helping to carry out the mission and policies of this administration.
Pence was not always complimentary of Trump. He expressed his disapproval as a candidate in the 2016 presidential race after the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape revealed Trump boasting of abusing women.
Pence had said at the time that he was "offended by the words and actions" of the recording – a statement that Trump apparently would not have forgotten.
People familiar with Trump's thinking suggested that after Loyalists like his longtime personal attorney, Michael Cohen, turned against him, Trump became paranoid about the identity of his allies and his his enemies.
"It is highly likely that the president wondered who is loyal, who is not … and that he is starting to be paranoid in an almost savage way," said Friday. Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Michael D & Antonio. "It's a stuck animal that no one can trust."
Despite Trump's questions about Pence, he did not say he would look for a new vice-presidential candidate for 2020.
During a press conference held earlier in November, Trump turned to Pence jokingly and asked him: "Mike, will you be my vice presidential candidate", Pence responded by shaking his head and raising his right hand.
"Thank you," said Trump. "Okay, okay." The answer is yes, okay? It was unexpected, but I feel very good. "
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