McCain’s willingness to talk Pence but dodge on Trump is shared broadly among his fellow Capitol Hill Republicans and reflects a genuine excitement about the Indiana governor who could be vice president. Capitol Hill Republicans believe Pence could be their man in the White House, a liaison they’re hoping would bend the nominee toward the conservative agenda they’re hoping for — and make the pride-swallowing they’ve done to back a man who spent the primary belittling them worth it after all.
Ted Cruz, who endorsed Trump in September after the most public of snubs of him in August, cited Pence as a big reason for the turnaround. “I sat down with Mike Pence, and we had a conversation about what it would take for me to come on board, that was the major issue I stressed, was the Supreme Court,” the Texas GOP senator told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.
Beyond Cruz, the running mate’s 12 years in Congress and his even-keel demeanor in both private and public have kept disgruntled congressional Republicans from abandoning the GOP ticket. Concerned as they still are over Trump’s smorgasbord of ever-changing policy prescriptions and bombastic comments, GOP lawmakers believe that if there’s trouble with the Trump administration, their first call will be Vice President Pence.
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