President Donald Trump bashed the New York Times Saturday morning for a Friday report that he was questioning Vice President Mike Pence. The article suggested the President has been asking White House employees if Pence is loyal to him.
The President slammed these claims, and noted he never questions Pence's loyalty.
"He is 100 percent loyal," the President said to a group of journalists before leaving for California. "It was a phony story. I doubt they had any sources. A typical New York Times phony story. Mike Pence is 100 percent. Not even a doubt about it in my mind. He's been a trooper."
The President also said Pence's loyalty has been tested in many ways, and he couldn't be happier with his pick for Vice President. The denial is difficult to parse because Trump has often denied stories that are true, but which it does not suit him to be held to account for.
The New York Times article said the aides he has questioned have told Trump Pence is incredibly loyal. They reported that Trump advisors outside the White House are unsure. The report noted Pence's religious relationships with voters, many of which are off putting to female rights activists. The article cites a dozen unnamed White House sources.
Hogan Gidley, deputy press secretary, told the publication "The president absolutely supports the vice president and thinks he's doing an incredible job helping to carry out the mission and policies of this administration."
The alleged questioning of Trump's Vice President comes as reelection campaign discussion begins. It's possible Trump could consider a re-election run with a different name for Vice President. Dan Pfeiffer, former communications director for President Barack Obama, acknowledged this is a conversation nearly all administrations have in a conversation with The Times.
"The idea of changing a ticket has been discussed by at least some aides in every White House and it almost never happens," he said. "I would also say the electoral significance of the vice-presidential nominee is one of the most overrated things in U.S. politics, particularly in a re-election, which is almost always a referendum on the performance of the president. Changing the No. 2 is not going to change that."
He said that the Obama administration had considered swapping Vice President Joe Biden for Hillary Clinton in 2012. A name allegedly mentioned for Pence's theoretical replacement, Trump's unnamed outside advisors told The Times, is Nikki R. Haley. Haley is the United States ambassador to the United Nations and a former Georgia senator. Haley has publically joked about Trump, though, most recently at the Al Smith dinner in October.
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