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For many Republicans in Donald Trumps Washington, Vice President Mike Pence has been the ax behind the glass youre supposed to break in case of emergency: solid, sharp, and there to save you when the place is going up in flames.

Now, as the Trump White House has become engulfed in one media firestorm after another, Pence is bringing in a new chief of staff, a veteran political operative who Pence loyalists expect will help him manage one of the thinnest, highest tightropes in Washingtonbalancing the vice presidents need to be loyal to a president who requires it, while keeping his own brand and capital strong enough to stand on its own.

The man on the way to fill that role is Nick Ayers, a 34-year-old political consultant who has helped more than a dozen top Republicans in around the country launch, rescue, or cement their political careers, including Mike Pence.

If Ayers name is new to casual observers, it isnt all new to anyone working in Washington. In 2007, Ayers burst onto the scene as the 24-year-old executive director of the Republican Governors Association. But his political break came even earlier, when Ayers, then 19,hit it off with a longshot candidate for Georgia governor named Sonny Perdue. Perdue hired Ayers as his driver, and then won the governors mansion a year later.Four years later, Ayers ran Perdues successful reelection in 2006 and then went with Perdue to the RGA, when the Georgia governor helmedthe committee tasked with electing Republicans to governors mansions.

During Ayers four years at the RGA, success and attention followed. The Washington Post called him Washington's youngest important operative. Some of his fellow young conservatives, like Matt Lewis, called him the most hated campaign operative in America, complaining that young Ayers track record didnt warrant the hype.

But after two full cycles with Ayers running daily operations at the RGA, Republicans went from holding 25 governors mansions in 2007 to 32 in 2011. Among the pick-ups were Scott Walker in Wisconsin, John Kasich in Ohio, Rick Scott in Florida, and Rick Snyder in Michigan. It was also the period when Nikki Haley won her first term in South Carolina and Chris Christie pulled off an upset in New Jersey.

Its hard to overstate how dramatic it was that he was in this position at that age, said Nathan Daschle, a Democratic lobbyist who was the executive director of the Democratic Governors Association when Ayers ran the RGA, when the two became rivals and friends.

In Nick, Mike Pence will get a very savvy and aggressive political mind, Daschle said. Hell also get intense loyalty. He wont have to worry about Nick and that hes got 100 percent loyalty out of his top person.

With the successful run at the RGA under his belt, Ayers left Washington and became a campaign consultant and media buyer. His highest-profile race was also his biggest bombTim Pawlentys spectacular presidential flameout, which ended abruptly five months after it began. Although Pawlenty initially said he dropped out because he lost the 2011 Iowa straw poll to then-Rep. Michele Bachmann (and even Rep. Rand Paul), the Pawlenty campaign was essentially brokewith $450,000 in debt still on the books two months after he dropped out.

A series of lower-profile Senate and governor's races put Ayers on a winning streakrunning outside PACs or advising campaign operations for Sens. Ted Cruz in Texas, David Perdue in Georgia, Tom Cotton in Arkansas, Gov. Bruce Rauner in Illinois, Gov. Eric Greitens in Missouri, and, importantly, the 2016 reelection effort for Gov. Mike Pence in Indiana.

Pence had met Ayers while he was at the RGA and signed him up for his 2016 bid, but Ayers started early after a 2015 religious-freedom bill in Indiana both ignited controversy in the state and took Pence from a 62 percent approval rating to a number in the mid-40s.

When Gov. Pence was looking for outside consulting help, his team talked extensively with Nick, said Bob Grand, a longtime Pence adviser and Indianapolis lawyer. All of us were very impressed, at a young age he has great insight. And I think the governor, now vice president, was very comfortable with his style and his advice.

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Ayers was already working for Pence when the call came to assess the governors interest in joining Donald Trump as his running mate.

Nick was intimately involved in that process, said Grand. A lot of things changed for all of us in a fairly quick period of time and Nick ended up very quickly in a very good role for the vice president.

That role, initially, was as an outside adviser and sounding board for Pence and a board member of the super PAC supporting the Trump administration's agenda, including an attack ad against GOP Sen. Dean Heller over his refusal to negotiate to support the GOP health-care bill.

He came back to the table, a Republican operative observed of the ad, which GOP senators groused about.

Ayers also recently helped Pence launch his own leadership PAC and has been helping Pence host dinners for major donors at the vice presidents residence.

And although he seriously considered a run for governor of Georgia himself, according to The Atlanta-Journal-Constitution, Ayers role with Pence continued to grow as the scrutiny on all members of the Trump administration ratcheted up.

While Pence has remained mostly on the sidelines of the Russia investigation, he has twice insisted in media interviews that no Trump associates ever met with Russians during the 2016 campaign for president.

All the contact by the Trump campaign and associates were with the American people, Pence wrongly told Fox News Chris Wallace.Pence was also at the center of dismissal of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, after Pence defended Flynn publicly as having no Russian ties, only to learn weeks later that that, too, was false.

Paul Bennecke, the executive director of the RGA, said having Ayers on the inside of his vice-presidential operation should help both Pence and Trump by having someone on point to execute on their agenda.

I think its a great asset to the president and the vice president to have someone who can figure out what the big objectives are, but more importantly, figure out what they can control and achieve, so that those objectives become reality.

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who was the RGA chairman during much of Ayers time there, said Ayers will also be an important point of contact inside Pences operation for the governors and senators hes worked with before.

Obviously a lot of people will find Nick to be someone theyre comfortable going to share their views.

Going forward, veterans of past White Houses that were similarly under the microscope said Pences toughest, and most important, job might just be staying focused on his actual job and staying out of the West Wing intrigue as much as possible.And thats where the chief of staff comes in.

David Thomas, an aide to then-Vice President Al Gore at the height of the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, said Gores chief of staff directed the staff daily to do your job and say and do nothing related to the impeachment.

Its hard enough to work for a White House in crisis, Thomas said.But if the White House also has internal battles, you wont get through it. Thomas also said the best play for Pence and his team at this point is to keep their heads down and themselves out of the spotlight.

Ayers, who will start officially at the end of the month, declined to be interviewed for this article.

Original post:
Pence Hires Fixer Chief of Staff as Trump Falls Apart - Daily Beast

Vice President Mike Pence quickly moved to distance himself from Donald Trump Jr. this week after a series of bombshell reports found the presidents eldest son had met in June 2016 with a Russian lawyer in an effort to obtain damaging intel on presidential rival Hillary Clinton.

Pences spokesman Marc Lotter sought Wednesday to increase that separation during an interview on Fox News but refused, repeatedly, to say if the vice president had met with any Russians himself during the presidential campaign.

Lotter, appearing on Fox News Americas Newsroom, was asked several times by host Bill Hemmer if his boss ever met with representatives from Russia or representatives from the Russian government during the campaign.

Clear up a few things for us now. Did the vice president ever meet with representative from Russia? Hemmer asked.

The vice president is not focused on the areas where, you know, on this campaign, especially things that happened before he was even on the ticket. As he has said, that when he joined the campaign his entire focus was on talking to the American people, taking the case that President Trump was going to make to the American people, Lotter replied, saying Pence was focused on the administrations agenda.

The message echoed that ina curious media statement released by Lotter on Tuesday as the Trump Jr. story snowballed.

The vice president is working every day to advance the presidents agenda, the statement from Pences office, attributed to Lotter, said. He was not aware of the meeting. He is also not focused on stories about the campaign especially those pertaining to the time before he joined the campaign.

Hemmer, not to be deterred, asked again: I understand. Fully aware of the statement there. Just come back to this question here: If it wasnt a private citizen from Russia, did he ever meet with representatives from the Russian government during the campaign?

That stuff, the special prosecutors and the counsels are all looking at, Lotter said, before saying once again that Pence was focused on other things during the campaign.

Hemmer tried one last time. Just to nail this down so were clear: Is that a yes or a no? Did he or did he not, and was it relevant, in fact?

Lotter offered a quick reply, saying, Im not aware of anything that I have seen, before again launching into a defense of Pences activity working the agenda that people sent him to Washington to accomplish.

Pence in January denied that anyone on the Trump campaign had ties to Russian officials.

Well, of course not, he told CBS John Dickerson then. And I think to suggest that is to give credence to some of these bizarre rumors that have swirled around the candidacy.

Excerpt from:
Mike Pence's Press Secretary Won't Say If His Boss Met With Russians - HuffPost

By Haley Samsel and Maria Carrasco | 3 hours ago | Updated 59 minutes ago

Vice President Mike Pence addressed high school students in Kerwin Hall on Wednesday.

Vice President Mike Pence delivered a speech at AU Wednesday morning to high school students attending the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC), provoking outrage from AU students online and a small protest outside the speaking venue.

The event was not affiliated with the University, said AUs Assistant Vice President of Communications Camille Lepre.

NSLC is hosting the vice president as part of its annual conference which offers participants an opportunity to experience a week of activities on a college campus. This is not an AU-affiliated event and is not sponsored by the university, Lepre wrote in an email to The Eagle.

Pence delivered remarks in Kerwin Hall as part of the conference, which offers science, journalism and public policy programs to high school students, according to its website. NSLC holds leadership programs at 11 universities across the country, including AU. An email to the NSLCs program office at AU was not answered as of press time.

Its really great to be here at American University to address a rising generation of leaders in America. Give yourself a round of applause. You are the future, Pence said in his speech.

Pence gave advice to students on the skills they need to be leaders, telling them to expect and learn from criticism and to keep persevering. He spoke about a moment he shared with President Trump, remarking on Trumps listening skills.

The truth is our president leads by asking questions and he listens, and I believe that reflects the type of humility that will enhance your ability to be a leader, Pence said during his speech.

While this event was not sponsored or affiliated with AU, students protested the event online and in person. Several students spoke out online against Pences history of opposing LGBT rights, such as the legalization of gay marriage.

On Facebook, a copy and paste post was shared by dozens of students, reading: I, [name], condemn Mike Pence speaking at American University. He does not reflect our core values regarding reproductive justice and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. #AUProtestsPence. Please copy/paste/fill in your name and tag American University to let them know where our community stands.

Recent AU graduates Quinn Dunlea and Dan Perry, along with senior Toby Jones, took their act of protest to the steps of Kerwin Hall, holding signs that read AU students dont stand by and say nothing and Religious freedom Discrimination. While there were less than a dozen students there, Jones said it was important for students to have their voices heard.

If there was any time for AU students to make ourselves known about where we stand on Mike Pences policies and his rhetoric that hes been using, now is that time, when hes coming to our campus, Jones said at the protest. And even though its not through AU, its an important event that hes coming to our campus and its important that we let him know how we feel.

Though the group gathered outside Kerwin Hall was small, it did include a recognizable name: Student Government President Taylor Dumpson.

Im here as student government, to make sure students that are protesting are aware of their rights that theyre afforded through the student code of conduct, Dumpson said at the protest. As well their freedom of expression and dissent and also making sure that theyre aware of the resources available with CASE [Center for Advocacy and Student Equity].

Senior and AU Ambassador Mark Sullivan, who could not attend the protest due to work, was also upset about Pences appearance and posted on Facebook that he would be wearing a rainbow pin as he gave tours of campus on Wednesday. Sullivan said he felt compelled to speak out against Pences speech on AUs campus as a member of the LGBT community.

As an ambassador at AU, I talk about what an incredible and supportive community I have found in my three years here, and the fact that we had Pence speaking on a campus that boasts about its inclusion and its diversity is something that shouldnt be ignored, Sullivan said in a message.

While several students expressed their distaste for Pences appearance, the AU College Republicans released a statement in support of the event.

The AU College Republicans could not be more elated to hear that Vice President Pence chose to visit American University per the invitation of a private organization. It is always an honor to have nationally significant figures on our campus, and it is especially laudable to host the vice president of the United States who has proven himself to be a strong conservative throughout his career as a public official, the statement read.

Sullivans problem with Pences appearance did not have to do with Pences identity as a Republican or a conservative, but with Pences ability to push his ideas onto a community he doesnt interact with, Sullivan said. He is worried about the consequences of Pences appearance on campus.

While [Pence] wasnt speaking to AU students, he was speaking to high schoolers that are part of a summer program and I hate the idea that they will associate Mike Pence with AU because I dont feel like he represents the overall student body or the campus culture, Sullivan said.

mcarrasco@theeagleonline.com and hsamsel@theeagleonline.com

Read this article:
Mike Pence speaks at AU, sparking objections from students - The Eagle

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) U.S. governors say the latest Republican health care overhaul is dominating private conversations at their summer meeting, and they plan to talk to Vice President Mike Pence about it.

Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are scheduled to speak at the National Governors Association meeting in Providence on Friday.

Some Democratic governors gathered Friday morning to publicly criticize the revised health care bill, which was released Thursday. They spoke about how unwinding the Medicaid expansion created by the Affordable Care Act would hurt their states.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, said Republicans in Congress are "still trying to put lipstick on a pig, but guess what? It's still a pig."

Democratic Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo said she plans to voice strong opposition to Pence when she meets with him privately.

"It's on everyone's minds," Raimondo said. "It's what's in every private conversation. There's a high degree of anxiety. Even Republican governors will say that they're worried, especially the ones that have taken the Medicaid expansion."

Nevada expanded its Medicaid program. Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval said he's already told Pence he's concerned about protecting people newly eligible for Medicaid. He plans to reiterate those concerns to Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price.

"And I'm sure that they're going to come back to me and explain why they feel like those individuals that are receiving Medicaid now, the newly eligibles, won't be harmed," he said. "It's my obligation to hear them out, which is what I will do."

Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to keep in place Medicaid cuts GOP governors and Senate moderates have objected to. No Democrats are supporting the plan.

The latest changes are geared toward increasing access to bare-bones private insurance. There's also an additional $45 billion to help states confronting the opioid epidemic. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, of North Carolina, called that funding a "fig leaf." Many of the "flimsy" policies that will be allowed under the legislation wouldn't cover substance abuse treatment, he said.

"What it is going to cost us to get out of this opioid crisis is significant, and health care coverage is important to that process," Cooper said. "This needs to be a bipartisan effort, just like we're working on the opioid fight in a bipartisan effort."

See the rest here:
'Still Trying to Put Lipstick on a Pig.' Governors Slam Revised Health Care Bill - TIME

Updated | When news broke this week that Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort met with a Russian lawyer last year in hopes of digging up dirt on Hillary Clinton, they joined an ever-expanding club: People who met with Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign yet who claimed they did not. But for now, Vice President Mike Pence is keeping Americans in the dark as to whether he, too, is a member.

PencespokesmanMarc Lotterrepeatedly refused to answer questions on the subject Wednesday in an interview with Fox NewssBill Hemmer. Hemmer bluntly asked Lotter three times whether the vice president had ever met with Russian representatives, and each time he dodged the subject.

Related: Is Mike Pence the next president?

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At first, Lotter insisted Pence was not focused on the areas where, you know, on this campaign, especially things that happened before he was even on the ticket,referring to the fact that Trump Jr.s Russia meeting took place June 9 and Pence didnt join the campaign until July 15. When Hemmer next pressed him, Lotter said, That stuff, the special prosecutors and the counsels are all looking at.

Hemmer then demanded a yes-or-no answer.

Im not aware of anything that I have seen,Lotter responded. All the focus that I saw with Vice President Pence during the campaign and since then has been focused on working the agenda that the people sent him to Washington to accomplish.

Lotters non-answer answers were circulating Thursday morning on Twitter, where they caught the attention of journalists including CNNsJim Acosta and The New York Timess Jonathan Martin. Many brought up the fact that Pencesaid flatly in January that of coursethe Trump campaign did not have any contact with Kremlin officials whomeddled in the U.S. election, dismissing reports to the contrary as bizarre rumors.

Isnt it telling that now even Mike Pences people will not say he did not meet with Russians, after Mike Pence in January said, Of course, we never met with Russians, we were meeting with the American people?MSNBC host Joe Scarborough said on his show Thursday.

People have been watching Pence this week in the wake of the Trump Jr. scandal because the vice president is next in the line of succession should Donald Trump Sr. be impeached. (Its unlikely, but thats a whole other story.)

In a statement released Tuesday, Pence seemed to put space between himself and the campaign, saying he wasnt aware of the June 9 meeting and was unconcerned with stories about Trump aides before he joined the ticket. But officials and sources close to Pence have fought back, saying he wasnt trying to separate himself from Trump Sr.

Theres absolutely no distance between the president and the vice president,deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Wednesday. I dont know if theyve spoken directly about this, but I know theyve spoken today.

An earlier version of this article included an incorrect spelling ofMarc Lotter's last name.

Originally posted here:
Did Mike Pence Meet With Russia Too? His Spokesman Keeps Dodging the Question - Newsweek