An announcement from former Vice President Mike Pence prompted a level of excitement akin to the politician’s own perpetually sour expressions as many foresaw a fast track to “the bargain bin.”
A noted trouble with establishment figures is that, even after they lose an election and the favor of voters, they tend to linger past their welcome, working in the background against the will of the people. Having embarrassed himself off the political stage with a 2024 bid for the White House, Pence is taking another crack at defining conservatism with a book launch.
Sunday, the two-time running mate of President Donald Trump snapped a dressed-down photo from his kitchen while unboxing a package containing copies of his latest book with the caption, “Look What Just Arrived at our Home in Indiana! — the very first copies of my book, ‘What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience.’ It will be available where all good books are sold June 2nd!”
Look What Just Arrived at our Home in Indiana! —the very first copies of my new book, “What Conservatives Believe: Rediscovering the Conservative Conscience.” It will be available where all good books are sold June 2nd! You Can Pre-Order your Copy Today! https://t.co/QBZzcK73G4🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ftyotqGl6Y
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) May 17, 2026
“In this powerful and inspiring manifesto, New York Times bestselling author and former Vice President Mike Pence pens a 21st-century version of The Conscience of a Conservative,” the description begins. “With candid insights after decades as a happy warrior in the movement, Pence convincingly explains why the Republican Party must choose enduring conservative principles over the temptations of big-government populism.”
Among the endorsements secured by the vice president, the book was dubbed the “Most Anticipated Book of 2026” by the New York Times and got a blurb from former House speaker and 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee turned Fox Corporation board of directors member Paul Ryan, who wrote in part, “… an essential and incisive guide to understand what true, twenty-first-century American conservatives believe.”
Worth remembering, Pence’s own 2024 White House bid essentially imploded before it even began, particularly for his response to Tucker Carlson at the 2023 FAMiLY Leadership Summit when asked about domestic troubles in the face of ongoing funding for Ukraine.
“I think it’s a fair question to ask, like, where’s the concern for the United States in that?” asked Carlson, to which the vice president responded, “Well, it’s not my concern. Tucker, I’ve heard that routine from you before, but that’s not my concern.”
Since then, Pence has gone on to lead the think tank Advancing American Freedom and seemingly failed to win much interest in what he had to say.
In fact, akin to how California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s political action committee, the Campaign for Democracy, was called out for spending over $1.5 million on copies of his book, “Young Man in a Hurry,” many looked to the vice president’s new publication as a shameless attempt to launder money. Expectations remained low that there was a market for the book, with one person even suggesting, “You’d produce a better book about America by printing out and binding all the comments on this post.”
You’d produce a better book about America by printing out and binding all the comments on this post.
— Librarian of Celaeno (@ExLibrisCelaeno) May 18, 2026
Soon to be found in the bargain bin at dollar general.
— John Slaughter, Esq. (@JSlaughterEsq) May 18, 2026
Ah, the old “politician launders money with a book nobody will read” trick. Very cool, Mike. Very conservative. Very principled.
You want to tell people who the largest bulk purchaser of your last book was?
— Wolf Bronsky (@WolfBronsky) May 18, 2026
Way more interested in how the book deals of these guys are structured. Pence, like most VPs, was totally forgettable. I can’t remember anything he said. Whose bankrolling these things and why
— mgcrow (@mgcrow569) May 18, 2026
State controlled library systems and schools are in on the graft. They buy books nobody wants.
— I’m Still At it (@StillHere1976) May 20, 2026
Within a week or two… pic.twitter.com/WR0Xs3IfFM
— Nicholas Holcomb (@NickHolcomb) May 17, 2026
Your book publishing deal is nothing more than a “payback” scam. Disgraceful. You know it. I know it. We all know it. Pathetic. Not good. By the way, I hope you’re enjoying the 2026 RINO hunting season as much as American patriots. So far, so good.
— David Kassis (@DavidJKassis) May 18, 2026
Forgive me Mike, I forgot you were there… pic.twitter.com/A5Ntxzg8YA
— TimOnPoint (@TimOnPoint) May 18, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.