capitolbeat.com, Friday December 11th
Vice-President Rules Out 2022 Run
At a joint press conference with President Sam Seaborn in the White House Rose Garden, Vice President Jack Hunter has confirmed that he will not seek the Republican nomination for President in 2022 and intends to serve out his term as Vice-President. Both he and the President also confirmed that there will be no unity ticket in 2022 and that Hunter will stand aside for whomever Seaborn chooses as his running mate for that election.
In a surprising twist of formality the Vice-President spoke first saying that due to "increasing speculation" that he and the President felt it was very important the clarify the plan for the next two years. Hunter said that he believed it "wasn't in the American people's interest to see a battle between their President and Vice-President" and that whilst he disagreed with the President on policy that he had come to appreciate "what most Americans outside the Beltway know intuitively - what unites us is far great than what divides us - a lesson many in Washington ought to learn, and learn quick." When asked whether the intended to endorse and campaign for a Republican candidate in 2022, the Vice-President said he would honor his pledge to stay neutral - "I am a Christian, an American, and a Republican. In that order and I intend to focus on keeping my word to God and to the President and to honoring the American people. I appreciate that will anger some on my side of the aisle but I believe it's what the American people deserve."
After the Vice-President had completed his remarks, President Seaborn lavished his deputy with praise. "Despite what many think, the majority of people who enter public life do so out of love of their country. The Vice-President today has shown everything that is good about public life, prioritizing the good of the American people over his own personal ambitions. That is to be commended. Despite our ideological differences and disagreements I believe both professionally and personally the Vice-President and I have a strong relationship and Lauren and I consider the entire Hunter family to be our friends."
Asked about whether he would encourage Hunter to seek national office after 2022, the President said "I don't think there is any question that he has more to offer this country after 2022. I might even campaign for him." prompting the Vice-President to suggest that he wasn't sure "how helpful that would be."
The Vice-President's decision is likely to kickstart the Republican Primary into life with a number of contenders waiting in the wings until they knew what the notional front runner was intending.