Pence to travel to see southern border, deliver speech in Arizona: report

Former Vice President Mike Pence is traveling to see the southern border and deliver a speech in Arizona on Monday, the Arizona Republic reported.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carol Capas said Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels is expected to brief Pence in Sierra Vista, Ariz., at Cochise College on Monday morning, followed by a visit to a section of the border where the barrier wall ends.

Capas confirmed to The Hill that both Pence and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) will be attending the briefing and border visit.

Pence will later deliver a speech on border security issues in Phoenix at the Arizona Commerce Authority at 2:30 p.m. local time, which Ducey will also attend, according to an advisory shared by Ducey’s office.

Pence’s travel to Arizona comes as he eyes a potential bid for the White House in 2024. Earlier this year, the former vice president released a 25-point policy agenda calling for the wall along the U.S. southern border to be completed, among a number of other measures.

It also follows the first June public hearing of the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which included excerpts of recorded interviews from those in former President Trump’s orbit in addition to in-person testimony from a Capitol Police officer and documentarian who were present on the day of the attack.

The upcoming series of hearings held by the panel, previewed during Thursday’s prime-time meeting, appear set to pit Trump against Pence, who was targeted by Trump supporters storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 after he criticized the idea that he had the authority to overturn the 2020 election results.

Updated: 5:32 p.m.