If Trump had lost in 2016, what happens to Mike Pence?

[Tekken_Guy]

What would happen to Mike Pence had Trump lost the 2016 election. After all, he had to drop out of the governor's race to become VP.

[Alben Barkley]

Well, probably not this at least:

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-mike-pence-betrayal-2024-election-1580393

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Pence probably would have run in 2020 but I don't think he would have been the favorite in the primary. A failed Trump 2016 bid would have been interpreted within the party as a vindication of Trump's intraparty opponents.

[Bootes Void]

He could challenge Donnelly in 2018.

He could maybe attempt to run in 2020, however the primary would be very competitive

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Maybe a cabinet position under the Republican elected in 2020.

[Fuzzy Bear]

He's be the kind of media star that Mike Huckabee is now.

[brucejoel99]

He'd probably bide his time with a cushy lobbying gig &/or something like a Fox commentator's job while preparing to run for the nomination in 2020, but he'd have to inevitably run in the same lane as Cruz, & if/when you present the Republican primary voters of this alternate timeline with a choice between a candidate who boldly predicted & resultantly repudiated the Trump 2016 loss in this timeline & a similar candidate who chose to go down with what would've been perceived as a sinking ship therein, then I don't imagine Pence would stand all that much of a chance with either the invisible primary's donor base or the actual primary's voter base. (Also, Cruz would've had the benefit - such as it is, just ask Santorum - of the former Republican primary recent tradition that was nominating the previous primary's runner-up.)

[Skill and Chance]

He would be a good compromise pick between the Trump wing and the traditional wing, but he would struggle in a GE if he got there.  The 2020 health/economic crisis would probably be enough that Clinton still loses, but it would be close. 

[SWE]

He'd probably be president right now. Assuming Trump doesn't run again, Pence would stand out among the 2020 Republican field of lightweights by virtue of name recognition, his association with Trump (whose supporters would no doubt be convinced had the election stolen from him), and from his appeal to evangelicals. He'd probably win in a fashion similar to Romney's - not exactly decisively but he'd have the most consistent and sturdy coalition as various flavors of the month crash and burn.

And in a timeline with and incumbent Hillary Clinton overseeing a pandemic, winning the GOP nomination is the same as winning the election.

[Torrain]

He'd probably be president right now. Assuming Trump doesn't run again, Pence would stand out among the 2020 Republican field of lightweights by virtue of name recognition, his association with Trump (whose supporters would no doubt be convinced had the election stolen from him), and from his appeal to evangelicals. He'd probably win in a fashion similar to Romney's - not exactly decisively but he'd have the most consistent and sturdy coalition as various flavors of the month crash and burn.

And in a timeline with and incumbent Hillary Clinton overseeing a pandemic, winning the GOP nomination is the same as winning the election.

A timely reminder that we don’t live in the darkest timeline after all.

[dw93]

He either runs against Donnelly in 2018 or he retires from Public life and becomes a lobbyist. I don't see him going the way of other has been Republicans and going on FOX, nor do I see him running for President in 2020.

[QAnonKelly]

Goes into lobbying, works for a think tank, or becomes a pundit.