The Real Reason People Are Saying Mike Pence Is Homeless
On the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration, then-outgoing Vice President Mike Pence made it clear in his farewell message to the American public that following the end of his term, he had no intention of staying in Washington, D.C., the national capital he had called home since his own swearing-in ceremony in 2017. Instead, Pence announced his intentions to return to live in his home state, Indiana, after leaving the White House. Though it looks like Pence is, by all accounts, moving back to the place he once served as governor, it doesn't mean he necessarily has a specific place to live.
According to a report published by Business Insider about a week later, it seems that while Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, did indeed return to Indiana right after Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' inauguration ceremony (one which former President Donald Trump pointedly did not attend), it was not to a fixed address. Instead, per Business Insider, the career politician and his wife have been "couch surfing" in lieu of returning to (or buying) their own private home. The media outlet also pointed to speculations generated by those close to Pence that among the places he and his wife might be oscillating between include a cabin that Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb "uses as a retreat" and a place owned by Pence's brother.
So what's behind Pence's reluctance to set up camp permanently? The answer might be more complicated than you think.
Mike Pence's couch surfing could be tied to Capitol Hill riots
Though Mike Pence publicly stated, following his January 2021 return to Indiana, that he had "already promised" his wife that the pair would be "moving back to the state this upcoming," per The South Bend Tribune, insiders from Pence's own circle clarified his return to Indiana didn't necessarily mean the pair had a particular home to move into. "He doesn't have a home, he doesn't have anywhere to live," one anonymous source close to Pence told Business Insider. Others also alleged Pence hasn't owned a home or residence in over 10 years.
Per the media outlet, part of the reason Pence is residentially unmoored might have to do with the events of Jan. 6, 2021, in which hundreds of attendees at a Trump Rally held at Capitol Hill. They subsequently stormed the Capitol Building after the former president incited them to violence, partially due to the fact that Pence did not aid Trump in overturning the results of the 2020 election. Some of these insurgents also built gallows at Capitol Hill, purportedly with the impetus to execute members of Congress as well as the former vice president. In short: Pence might be deliberately making himself hard for extremists to find.
"That would make sense," one anonymous source, referred to as a member of the Republican party in Indiana, said with regards to Pence's lack of permanent address. "They wanted to hang him in the Capitol."
Mike Pence's housing woes could have to do with money
Business Insider also posited that Mike Pence's current situation might boil down to something that has less to do with politics and more with something a bit more universal: money problems.
According to the media outlet, Pence has seemingly had some financial issues not only when he was sworn into office in 2017, but before it, as well — among which included Pence's brother's business filing for bankruptcy, and with Pence himself losing $700,000 as a result. The publication also reported that Pence's financial fragility throughout was also impacted by his three children, each of whom required financial assistance for their schooling via loans, all totaling in the six-figure range.
Per Business Insider, the ex-vice president allegedly acquired $750,000 in 2017 through a charity fund at the time run by Trump's inaugural committee, which was allocated to Pence for categorical living expenses. Inside sources who spoke with the outlet stated, however, that the funds went towards purchasing new furniture for Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, in order to replace what President Joe Biden — the then-vice president — moved out with after the end of President Barack Obama's second term.
Mike Pence might not want to make any big decisions just yet
Other reasons Business Insider put forward in their January 2021 deep-dive as to why Mike Pence, at the time of the article's publication, was seemingly without a permanent home might break down to simple, mundane logistics. The gist? Because the former VP is uncertain as to what his next career move will be, he doesn't want to make any decisions regarding his home base until he figures the former out.
As Business Insider noted in their extensive exposé, Pence, as of the time of this writing, has a number of viable options for his future job-oriented path, some of which are outside the realm of politics. Among them include a move to administration in higher education at Christian universities and colleges like Liberty University, where Pence could supposedly work as the school's president, with a salary as high as seven figures to boot; another option in academia could include a similar position at Michigan's Hillsdale College, which is located outside of Indiana entirely.
No matter what the reason, it seems like Mike Pence isn't looking to settle down roots just yet, unlike his former boss Donald Trump's unpopular crusade to set up permanent residency in Florida's Mar-a-Lago private golf club and resort. On the bright side, if anything, at least Pence isn't dealing with petitions to keep him out of the place he calls home. Indeed, there's always that.