senate floor and play his ceremonial role as scripted aides said but after that he will have to compensate by showing his fealty to mr trumpa tentative final foreign trip by mr pence to visit israel bahrain and belgium was scrapped while more events to talk up mr trumps legacy at home are being considered according to a person familiar with the plans aides would not say whether mr pence would attend mr bidens inaugurationpence aides said they expected the vice president to walk through what is expected to happen on capitol hill with mr trump before wednesday in part to inoculate himself against public criticism in real timebut even with his practice at managing the president republican strategists described mr pence as being in the worst political position of any potential 2024 major republican presidential candidate the vice president will be unable to avoid a nationally televised moment when he declares mr biden the winner potentially disappointing those who believe mr trump was the victor and angering those who think he has the power to change the outcomehis best bet is to buck and dodge and make it through without infuriating either side said william kristol the conservative columnist and prominent never trump republican who was chief of staff to vice president dan quaylehe has to hope the trump people are furious at tom cotton and anyone else who doesnt go along mr kristol said referring to senator tom cotton of arkansas an ally of the presidents who said he would not join the effort to challenge the electoral college results he has to hope establishment republicans are furious at josh hawley and ted cruz and then hes the guy who didnt offend anyonefour years ago mr pence was facing a difficult reelection for governor of indiana when mr trumps advisers at the time saw opportunity in choosing the mildmannered silverhaired conservative who was popular among the evangelical voters whose support mr trump neededsince then mr pence has played the role of the presidents relentless defender and with rare exception prevented daylight from coming between themin an administration that has cycled through four chiefs of staff four national security advisers and four press secretaries the vice presidents political calculation has long been that being the unstintingly loyal no 2 would give him the best shot at inheriting the trump mantlebut with just 16 days left in the administration mr pence is at risk of meeting the fate that he has successfully avoided for four years being publicly attacked by the presidentsince the election his political advisers have wanted mr pence focused solely on the two senate runoffs in georgia and on the distribution of the coronavirus vaccineneither has been of significant interest to the presidentpences only play is to be loyal subservient and supportive right down to the last minute hes vice president said michael feldman a former traveling chief of staff to vice president al gore who recalled his former boss playing the awkward role prescribed by the