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Former Vice President Mike Pence announced his qualification for the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 campaign, and it has sent shockwaves throughout the conservative community. Pence, who has frequently shown himself to be a weak and inadequate leader, is among seven other candidates who have qualified for the event.

Pence met the 1% polling requirement set by the Republican National Committee, but then had to scrape together 40,000 individual donors in a desperate attempt to get on stage. It is clear that his campaign is struggling and he is grasping at straws to remain relevant.

Pence’s inclusion in the debate sets up a showdown between him and his former boss, Donald Trump. Though it remains uncertain if Trump will participate in the event, it is clear that Pence’s announcement is a desperate attempt to take on the former president.

Following Trump’s latest arraignment in a Washington, D.C., court, Pence had the audacity to call out his former boss, saying the charges are a reminder that he should never be president again. However, Pence then had the audacity to say in an interview earlier this week that Trump is “entitled to a presumption of innocence.”

Pence’s team claims that they reached the donor threshold without any special giveaways, but it is worth noting that other candidates have resorted to desperate schemes to raise money. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, a tech billionaire, offered people $20 gift cards in return for a $1 donation, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy started a scheme to pay supporters 10% of any money they help raise for his campaign.

Despite his claims of popularity, Pence currently sits far behind Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in early polling for the Republican primary. In fact, Pence currently sits in fourth place, behind Ramaswamy, in the national polling average, according to Real Clear Politics.

It is clear that Pence is not fit to lead the Republican party and his desperate attempts to remain relevant are laughable. Conservatives everywhere should reject his candidacy and hold out for a true leader who can take on the left-wing agenda and protect American values.