Creation and Criticism

Mike Pence’s “So Help Me God” is an autobiography starting from early adulthood to the present. Initially, the 560-page book is as vapid as Mr. Pence himself when he repeats his religious belief and temperate upbringing. The book, however, turns interesting on page 137 when he meets Donald Trump.

There onwards “So Help Me God” is mainly about the author’s relationship with Mr. Trump and his role in that president’s administration. He was a confidant of Mr. Trump and helped the former president in choosing his cabinet and supreme court judges. Surprisingly, Mr. Trump always honored Mr. Pence’s recommendations.

Pence tells the story of two Donald Trumps. One is funny, perceptive, charming, and has an instinctive rapport with ordinary people. This Trump loves his family and country and fiercely guards the interests of those close to him. The other Trump is erratic, vengeful, detached from principle, deeply narcissistic, and capable of shocking acts of betrayal. Most people see one or the other, generally according to their politics, but both are the complicated reality that is Donald J. Trump. Former Vice President Mike Pence’s memoir captures both iterations of the man.

If Mr. Trump inspires hatred on the political left, Mr. Pence inspires something closer to fear. He is a social conservative who speaks openly about his Christian faith, but on matters of policy and governance, he projects an unflashy competence.

He also has the propensity to be right when everybody else is wrong. In 2015, as governor of Indiana, he signed into law a measure that protected business owners from being forced to provide services against their religious beliefs. The law was passed a few months before the Supreme Court decision declaring same-sex marriage a constitutional right. The media and Democrats portrayed Mr. Pence as a villain for trying to legalize discrimination. Three years later, the Supreme Court made it clear that the Indiana law was fully justified.

In 2016, Mr. Pence terminated a second term as Indiana’s governor in order to join Mr. Trump’s presidential ticket. That looked like a bad decision—until election night.

Mr. Pence is capable of self-criticism and recalls how disconcerting he could be as a true Christian. “I tried to explain to friends and relatives that my faith had changed me,” he writes. “Some understood; most didn’t.” The question, for 2024, is whether average GOP voters will find what they’re seeking in his evangelical expressions.

About the Reviewer:

anil-srivastava Born on Dec 03, 1946, Anil Shrivastava (pen name Musafir) is a retired engineer with great accomplishments but writing is his first love. He is a founder member, partner and managing editor of TheThinkClub. He is a great proponent of independent thinking among fellow human beings, which also means being non-partisan and unbiased. He resides in Rochester, Michigan, USA and can also be contacted through email- letters@thethinkclub.com