Pence Launches Advocacy Group to Promote Conservative Policies and Thwart ‘Radical Left’ Agendas

Vice President Mike Pence addresses supporters at campaign rally in Tallahassee, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2020. Steve Cannon/AP Photo

Former Vice President Mike Pence has announced the launch of Advancing American Freedom, a policy and advocacy group that will promote Trump-era policies and defend them from “liberal attacks and media distortions,” while seeking to thwart “radical Left” agendas “that would threaten America’s freedoms.”

“Advancing American Freedom plans to build on the success of the last four years by promoting traditional Conservative values and promoting the successful policies of the Trump Administration,” Pence said in an April 7 statement.

The launch comes as many conservatives look on with trepidation at both the enacted and expected policies of the Biden administration, fearful of a leftward lurch.

“Conservatives will not stand idly by as the radical Left and the new administration attempt to threaten America’s standing as the greatest Nation in the world with their destructive policies,” Pence added.

A promotional video accompanying the launch drove home the theme of growing conservative anxiety amid trends like cancel culture, the fossil fuel crackdown, more permissive border policies, the push for more spending on social programs, expectations of tax hikes, and fears of a major climate change-driven economic reset.

“Advancing American Freedom will fight for policies that ensure economic prosperity, fight to protect our conservative values, and fight for a strong foreign policy agenda that protects America—today and for generations to come. Our conservative principles and values are under attack unlike ever before,” the narrator says in the video, which also features a brief lookback on Pence in politics delivering his core message of “faith, family, and freedom.”

The organization will seek to merge traditional conservative values with former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again policy agenda that the announcement credited for propelling the United States “to new economic heights, and unprecedented strength and prosperity.”

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence confer during a briefing in Washington on April 23, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In ominous terms, the new group’s director, Paul Teller, said those policies are now under threat.

“The policies that led to those accomplishments are now under attack by the radical Left and the Biden Administration, and the foundation of our Nation is under siege,” said Teller, who served as director of strategic initiatives for Pence when he was second-in-command at the White House.

The group will provide Pence with a platform to outline his policy agenda and build support among key Republicans without officially stepping into the 2024 presidential race. Trump has not ruled out another run for the White House, making it challenging for Pence to organize without alienating his former boss.

Pence’s aides brushed aside speculation that the organization is a vehicle for his presidential ambitions, telling the Washington Examiner that the focus is on developing a conservative policy agenda to parlay into Republican votes in next year’s mid-term elections.

Advancing American Freedom will engage in policy discussions and issue advocacy at both state and federal levels, and will propose conservative policy solutions around three pillars: the economy, foreign policy, and constitutional issues—in particular ones that center on American liberties and, presumably, threats to them, according to its website.

Pence’s first public speech is expected at the end of April at the Palmetto Family Council’s annual fundraiser in South Carolina.