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Mike Pence in the Rose Garden attending the National Day of Prayer ceremony.

By Cheriss May/NurPhoto/Getty Images.

Back in the early days of 2016, Donald Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., reportedly reached out to John Kasich with a tantalizing offer: if Kasich dropped his own presidential campaign and joined the Trump ticket as vice president, he would be the most powerful vice president in historyin charge of all foreign and domestic policy while Trump, presumably, would play to his strengths as a cheerleader, browbeater, and mere figurehead. Just as he made his money licensing his name, Trump would focus his diffuse energies on making America great again.

Its an intriguing picture of a presidency that might have been if Trump werent so bad at delegating authority. And it could be at the forefront of Vice President Mike Pences mind as the Trump presidency sinks deeper into scandal. As his boss grapples with a stalled legislative agenda and growing worries of a 2018 midterm election bloodbath, the otherwise diminished, frequently forgotten Pence appears to be stepping into the spotlight as he strives to shore up a Republican field made increasingly vulnerable by Trump himself. With Republican candidates suddenly facing uphill battles in usually reliable red districts and states, Pence is preparing to tour the country this summer to stump and fund-raise. He has an appetite to fight, so hes going to get out there and fight on the presidents behalf, Pence strategist Nick Ayers told Politico.

Its an extraordinary move for a vice president to make alone, without the president, so early in an administration. But nothing about the Trump administration is ordinary. And with the word impeachment now being whispered through Capitol Hill, its a move that is sure to further fuel speculation that Pences whistle-stop tour is another portent of his planning for a possible post-Trump era. As my colleague Abigail Tracy reported earlier this month, some Republicans are open to the ideaand already maneuvering to protect Pence in the event that Trump, one way or another, doesnt make it to the 2020 finish line. I think some of them are doing some scenario planning, some of them just want somebody that they know speaks their language, Republican strategist Rick Wilson said. So a lot of them are protecting him and keeping him sort of a little bit above the fray because they would like to have a backup plan just in case. Pence has done little to tamp down the rumors, filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to launch his own PAC, the Great America Committeethe first time a sitting vice president has established his own independent political arm.

If Pence does have designs on his bosss job, hes keeping his cards relatively close to his vest. A source close to Pence dismissed the idea that Pences move signaled a presidential bid, telling NBC News, Dont read into 2020 as anything other than his running for re-election as vice president in 2020 and supporting other candidates. And Pence has remained unflaggingly loyal to Trump, rarely deviating from the script. While delivering the keynote at an anniversary gala of the anti-abortion Susan B. Anthonys List, Pence, one of the most ardent anti-abortion politicians out there, spent most of his time praising Trump and describing his views on abortion, Politico notes. If anything, Pence seems too out of the loop, purportedly misinformed or sidelined on details of Trump scandals, from the firing of Mike Flynn to the timeline surrounding the dismissal of James Comey.

If Pence does have post-Trump ambitions, he is smart to keep them under wraps. The president notoriously dislikes any hint that his underlings are outshining him, once rebuking Steve Bannon for not pushing back against the perception that he, not Trump, is the real power behind the throne. And as several political strategists told Politico, it just isnt in Pences nature to steal the spotlight. But in an administration that has little energy left over to protect the Republican majority in the upcoming midtermsand with a president who is likely too toxic to be an effective campaignerPence, a former congressman and a quiet party insider, may have a new sandbox in which to experiment with the scope of his power.

Donald and Melania at a party at Marquee, a New York nightclub, in 2004.

The couple in New York City in 1999.

Melania (right) with fellow model Emma Eriksson during a 1995 photo shoot.

The couple with Donalds daughter Ivanka at the 2004 Met Gala.

The First Couple.

Donald and Melania at the Inaugural Luncheon, at the Capitol.

Melania in the White House before leaving for Mar-a-Lago on March 17.

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Donald and Melania at a party at Marquee, a New York nightclub, in 2004.

By Richard Corkery/New York Daily News/Getty Images.

The couple in New York City in 1999.

By Henry McGee/Zumapress.com.

Melania (right) with fellow model Emma Eriksson during a 1995 photo shoot.

By Al De Basseville/Splash News.

The couple with Donalds daughter Ivanka at the 2004 Met Gala.

By Evan Agostini/Getty Images.

Melania picks up her son, Barron, from school, in New York, in 2016.

From Probe-Media.com.

Melania with Donald at a campaign event in Detroit.

By Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.

The soon-to-be First Couple is welcomed to the White House by the Obamas on Inauguration Day 2017.

By Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

The First Couple.

By Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.

Donald and Melania at the Inaugural Luncheon, at the Capitol.

By Molly Riley/AFP/Getty Images.

Melania in the White House before leaving for Mar-a-Lago on March 17.

By Ron Sachs/DPA/Abaca.

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With Trump in Peril, Mike Pence Hits the Campaign Trail - Vanity Fair