INDIANAPOLIS–Vice Pres. Mike Pence wants to be president, so he has to stick with Pres. Trump, no matter what, said author Tom LoBianco, who was in Indianapolis to promote his book “Piety and Power: Mike Pence and the Taking of the White House”.

“Based on everything I understand, they’re looking forward to 2024,” said Bianco, appearing Monday on WISH TV. “That’s their best shot at winning the White House in their own right.”

They “they” he referred to are Mike and Karen Pence.

Though Pence was clean during the Russian investigation, LoBianco said the former Indiana governor did meet with the Ukrainian president. LoBianco said Pence denied talking about former vice president Joe Biden, and said they talked about “corruption efforts”.

“So, he could be exposed in a way that he seriously wasn’t during the Trump/Russia investigation.”

LoBianco said he believes some people on the Trump team, including Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, have “floated replacing Pence” for the 2020 election.

“The president himself will occasionally ask different people what they think of Pence,” he said. “I spoke with one adviser from the 2016 campaign. He said when Trump’s asking you about somebody, he might be asking about them because of them. He also might be asking about them because of you. It could be a test.”

LoBianco believes Pence has to remain close to Trump because he doesn’t want to alienate Trump’s base of voters.

“And, if he is seen in any way trying to push Trump off the cliff, stick the knife in politically in some Machiavellian effort to get him impeached, removed, take the presidency that way, that base abandons him,” said LoBianco.

He said he believes the Pence’s do not want to be Gerald Ford, but want to be elected to the presidency.