Mike Pence Readies Next Major Venture

Former Vice President Mike Pence is reportedly starting a podcast. According to Politico, one of Pence's first ventures after leaving the White House will involve him launching a podcast hosted by the Youth America's Foundation (the YAF), a conservative group organization that has ties back to the 1960s. The former vice president will become the group's first Ronald Regan presidential scholar. Under that position, Pence will become a regular member of the Virginia-based organization's campus lecture circuit once it is safe to resume those events (they have been halted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic).

Former Governor Scott Walker, who took over the reins of the YAF organization earlier this year, released a statement about Pence's involvement. Walker stated, "Vice President Pence has been a stalwart defender of individual freedom, traditional values, free markets, and limited government throughout his career of distinguished service to our country. Now, by partnering with YAF, the Vice President will continue to attract new hearts and minds to the conservative cause." The former governor added that Pence's "energy and enthusiasm for Ronald Reagan's values has and will continue to inspire a new generation of young people."

This news comes shortly after it was announced on Thursday that Pence would join the Heritage Foundation, which is another conservative organization. He will be a distinguished visiting fellow for the Heritage Foundation and will focus on public policy. The former vice president will reportedly work to "lead the conservative movement into the future," as USA Today reported. Kay C. James, the president of the Heritage Foundation, released a statement about Pence's new status as a "distinguished visiting fellow," stating, "Knowing that Vice President Pence is still in the fight is an adrenaline shot for the entire conservative movement."

While at the Heritage Foundation, Pence will reportedly advise policy experts, deliver policy speeches, and write a monthly column. Pence's new ventures tie back to his former career, prior to being elected to Congress in 2000. Before he went into politics, he was a radio talk show host on "The Mike Pence Show." He was also the president of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, which was modeled after the Heritage Foundation. A spokesperson for Pence released a statement regarding his upcoming work with the YAF, noting, "The vice president will certainly be focused on the conservative accomplishments of the last four years and projecting those accomplishments and lessons learned forward."