Even after former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s time in the White House came to an end, his Chief of Staff Marc Short has remained a close ally to his various political endeavors.
Still acting as an adviser for Pence as the former vice president occasionally makes guest appearances at various Republic rallies, events, and gatherings. Short also did not skimp on his defense of Pence following criticism from Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz.
As he made an appearance on CNN no more than a few short hours after reportedly testifying before a grand jury that gathered at the request of the Department of Justice as yet another puzzle piece to the deep-dive investigation into the events of and leading up to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol building, Short had some rather scathing words for Gaetz.
Over the weekend, Gaetz implied that Pence would never be elected as president, which seemingly left Short with a bitter taste in his mouth.
While speaking to a group of right-wing youth activists at an annual conference for Turning Point USA, Gaetz said that Pence lacked what it would take to be a leader who could lead the U.S. in a positive direction.
“Let me just say what everybody here knows,” Gaetz said, “Mike Pence will never be president. Nice guy, not a leader.”
On Monday evening, Short chose to respond to the clip of Gaetz as pro-Trump attendees in the crowd he was speaking to begin to laugh at his assertion that Pence would be incapable of fulfilling the job of President effectively.
“Well, I don’t know if Mike Pence will run for president in 2024,” Short prefaced, “but I don’t think Matt Gaetz will have an impact on that.”
“I’d be surprised if he’s still voting,” Short quipped.
“I think it will be more likely that he’ll be in prison for child sex trafficking by 2024. And I’ll actually be surprised if Florida law enforcement still allows him to speak to teenage conferences like that.”
While the reply came as a shock to many, it’s clear that Short was referencing the currently ongoing investigation by the Justice Department into Gaetz and a former friend of his, Joel Greenberg, who has allegedly been cooperating with law enforcement thus far.
The accusations surrounding the investigation in question circulate around allegations that Gaetz paid for a 17-year-old girl to travel across state lines in order to engage in sexual contact with her.
However, it should be noted that Gaetz has adamantly denied such claims as well as any other allegations levied toward him of sexual misconduct.
Despite the comments of Florida’s controversial Congressman, Pence is thought by many to be gearing up for a 2024 presidential run but has yet to confirm any of the suspicions surrounding the issue. His chances of election would likely be slim considering he is by no means a fan favorite among Democrats in the United States, nor Republicans since he chose to disregard Trump’s wishes and certify the results of the 2020 presidential election that saw Donald Trump lose to current U.S. President Joe Biden.
