If Pence is seeking solidarity, however, it has not entirely been reciprocated. Since January 6, Trump and Pence have talked more than five times, according to a Pence aide, including three this month. But the two have mostly gone their own separate and distinct ways. And Trump aides say they are not keeping tabs on his political machinations like they are for other leading Republicans. Indeed, a handful of those contacted for this piece confided that they had no idea Pence was making his post-White House debut on Thursday.

“The Vice President’s foray into 2024 politics will be met with a more reserved golf clap,” said a former Trump senior administration official, who described Trump’s relationship with Pence as “cordial but not intimate.”

Inside Trumpworld, there is a sense that Pence no longer has the utility he once did. When he was chosen as Trump’s running mate in 2016, it was in large part because of his appeal to evangelical conservative voters and the need to sooth over the GOP establishment. But political advisers to the 45th president see evangelicals as one of his most steadfast voting blocs now. And Trump himself has replaced or driven out the establishment that once recoiled at him.

“I like Mike Pence. I think he was a great VP. A great guy,” said a former campaign aide. “But the reality is a large portion of the Trump base doesn’t like him or care about him. He wasn’t a liability [in 2020]. But was he an asset? Sure. He could give good interviews. But his ability to attract new voters wasn’t really there.”

As they ponder another run for the presidency in 2024, Trump aides have discussed people other than Pence to serve in the VP candidate role (assuming Trump wins the nomination). On Thursday morning, Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo floated the name of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a potential sidekick in the next presidential election, a suggestion Trump did not rule out.

“A lot of people like that — you know, I’m just saying what I read and what you read — they love that ticket,” Trump said on Fox News. “But certainly, Ron would be considered. He’s a great guy.”

And when asked about the future of the Republican party on “The Truth with Lisa Boothe” podcast, Trump skipped Pence’s name in favor of singling out others like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

Penny Nance, CEO and President of the conservative group Concerned Women for America, said Pence “looms large as someone we know and trust and supported very strongly in the past four years.” Nance, who worked closely with the White House on conservative issues, also said, “I don’t think he’s the only one — I haven’t endorsed anyone — but he is someone who has a lot of respect among evangelical Christian voters.”

While some in Trump’s own circle are skeptical of Pence assuming the MAGA mantle, according to a March survey from GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio, the former VP is the top pick among Republican voters for a presidential ballot without Trump.

“I think if Pence got into a Trumpless field he’d be a top-tier candidate but he wouldn’t be the only top-tier candidate,” said a former Trump adviser. “Would it surprise me to see Mike Pence heading up Heritage instead of running for president or being the GOP nominee in 2024? No.”

Pence’s political career and deep network within the evangelical conservative corners of the Republican party has been carefully built up over the years, as a talk radio host, congressman from Indiana, governor of the state, and a sobering force on the 2016 Republican presidential ticket. Over the course of Trump’s tumultuous four years in office, he stood by Trump’s side through repeated controversy. The belief among Pence aides was that Trump supporters would reward him for that loyalty.

January 6 has changed that, sullying Pence’s reputation among the MAGA crowd and Trump, who told Republican donors behind closed doors earlier this month he was “disappointed” in his vice president for not doing more to stop election certification.

Out of the White House, Trump has continued to share his opinions in frequent statements, appeared sporadically on friendly TV, and met with politicians at his Mar-a-Lago mansion eager for his stamp of approval. Pence, by contrast, has quietly stood offstage — not even appearing at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference — as he plotted out his next steps and built a political industry around his conservative vision for the GOP. He underwent heart surgery earlier this month, a fact that Trump found out through news reports, according to CNN.

Now out of office, Pence said he plans to use his influence to help Republicans win back the House and the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections. He is planning to publish an autobiography with Simon & Schuster.

The conservative Heritage Foundation named him a distinguished visiting fellow. And he is active with his own political action committee and the newly formed Advancing American Freedom, a political advocacy group that has the backing of prominent Trump administration officials like counselor Kellyanne Conway, Trump economic adviser Larry Kudlow, and former Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Administrator Seema Verma.

Trump has backed Pence’s new venture. But the former president only said in a statement to the Washington Examiner, “It was the most successful first term in American history. Nice to see Mike highlighting some of our many achievements!”

On Thursday, Pence debuted the type of lines and arguments that could serve to relaunch him politically in the months ahead. He slammed the Biden administration’s “avalanche of liberal policies,” including the president’s record on government spending, abortion rights, immigration, Iran Nuclear Deal and his administration’s support for what Pence said is the “woke chorus” accusing law enforcement of systemic racism.

But there was evidence, even then, that the benefits that came with hitching his wagon to Trump had ended when that hitch came undone. As Pence spoke, no cable channel picked up his remarks. Just a few dozen people at any given time watched him live on Facebook, including roughly 55 when the speech ended.

Sam Stein contributed to this report.