Audrey And Charlotte Pence Are All Grown-Up
Vice President Mike Pence's daughters, Audrey and Charlotte Pence, have managed to fly mostly under the radar — especially in comparison to President Donald Trump's brood. But that's certainly not to say that they're not worthy of a headline every now and then.
In fact, while all three of Pence's children helped out on their father's 2016 campaign (including Pence's eldest son, Michael), it's his daughters, Audrey and Charlotte, who have transformed the most since their dad took office as vice president of the United States. While Michael was already an established adult at 24 years old, Audrey and Charlotte were a few years younger, only 21 and 22 at the time. Charlotte was actually still enrolled in college when Pence was sworn in as the VP. That probably made for some awkward moments in the library, with a flock of secret service flanked on either side of poor Charlotte.
But just how much have the young ladies changed? And are they really just a couple of chips off the ol' block? Keep reading after the jump to find out!
Campaigning has always been a team effort in the Pence family
It probably comes as no surprise that both Audrey and Charlotte Pence were no strangers to the campaign trail when they're dad opted to run alongside Donald Trump in 2016... mostly because they've been doing it their entire lives. Prior to becoming VP, Mike Pence served 12 years in congress before being elected governor of Indiana in 2012. So, naturally, when the time came for Pence to hit the campaign trail vying for the vice presidency position, his daughters were happy to roll up their sleeves and lend a helping hand.
But make no mistake about it — while they were well-versed in what it takes to run a campaign from a very early age, they're adamant that they grew up just like everyone else. "Frankly, we've had a pretty normal childhood," their older brother, Michael Pence, told 13 WTHR.
And while the young women may be less inclined to boast about their integral roles in the campaigns, their dad is happy to relish in his family's team effort. "This has always been a family affair for us, from the very first campaign headed out to county fairs, while Karen and I would be shaking hands at the Republican tent, the kids would be standing out in front of the tent, handing out flyers and shaking hands," he gushed proudly to WTHR.
Charlotte Pence is a published author
In March 2018, Vice President Mike Pence's daughter, Charlotte Pence, published her very own children's book titled, Marlon Bundo's A Day in the Life of the Vice President. In the book Charlotte writes about a family's pet rabbit, Marlon Bundo, and his adventure following his "Grampa Pence" around as he serves as Vice President. Charlotte's mother and second lady Karen Pence also got in on the action, providing watercolor illustrations for the book.
Per the Los Angeles Times, during a book signing Charlotte revealed she and her mother collaborated on the book, saying, "We worked on it closely together, traded ideas and, for the most part, were on the same page." She also teased the possibility of a sequel, "We think Marlon has a lot more adventures to go on, and we'd love to do something for a sequel."
But that's not all. In late 2018, Charlotte published a second book, Where You Go: Life Lessons from My Father — this one serving as a personal tribute to her father and a testament to the way in which she was raised. During an interview with C-SPAN, Charlotte credited her parents' encouragement for molding her into the woman she is today: "I think that over the years and growing up my parents saw me as a storyteller from a very young age, so they always encouraged me to not only speak my dreams but also they were kind of speaking them to me."
Audrey Pence marches to the beat of her own drum
In 2013, Mike Pence's daughter, Audrey Pence, surprised many when she described herself as a "politically independent social liberal" in an interview with WTHR. Audrey confessed that while she did ultimately vote for her dad, she did so with a split ticket. And according to Audrey, her papa couldn't have been prouder. "Probably the person I get the most respect from is my dad on that and he has always... he tells me so many times, 'I am proud of you for having your own opinions and looking into things,'" Audrey said.
Although their politics may differ, Audrey did make sure to follow in her father's footsteps when she made the decision to enroll in law school, per Vanity Fair. But whether or not she plans to continue on the same trajectory as her father and try her hand in politics remains to be seen. She did, however, mention that she hasn't ruled out the idea of working at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
"I've talked to a lot of people who are foreign officers and seen the work they do and many have said they are all very much generalists rather than specialists, which is something I really identify with; being able to take different lessons from all around the world and applying them," she told News @ Northeastern in 2015.
While they may be the VP's daughters, the Pence ladies have proved they are very much their own person.