Mike Pence was Donald Trump’s right-hand man for four years. However, Trump and Pence had a massive falling out amid the U.S. Capitol Attack on January 6, 2021, that effectively put an end to their political partnership. It did more than just remove the former vice president from Trump’s inner circle, though. Trump even said Pence is “mortally wounded” to the GOP for helping to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Pence’s new job seemingly proves the president right.
In the spring of 2026, Pence will begin teaching undergraduate courses and seminars at George Mason University. He will join the Schar School of Policy and Government as a distinguished professor of practice, meaning an instructor with no academic background but extensive expertise in the field. “I have seen firsthand the importance of principled leadership and fidelity to the Constitution in shaping the future of our nation,” Pence said in a statement.
The Schar School dean, Mark J. Rozell, highlighted Pence’s track record of turning his ideology into measurable actions. “His disciplined approach to communication and his deeply rooted conservative philosophy provide a principled framework to discussions of federalism, the separation of powers, and the role of values in public life,” he said. This won’t be the first time Pence dabbles in academia. After ending his short-lived 2024 presidential run in 2023, he taught political science at Grove City College, a small Christian institution. “I was immediately interested,” he told IndyStar in March 2025. Pence has seemingly left politics for good, suggesting his rift with Trump did a number on his career.
Mike Pence and Donald Trump went years without talking
Mike Pence claims there’s no bad blood between him and Donald Trump. But Trump and Pence didn’t talk for years, implying their parting wasn’t as amicable as the former vice president would have us believe. “We talked last summer,” Pence told Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” in January 2022 (via Insider). “And you know I’ve said many times, it was difficult, January 6 was difficult. It was a tragic day in the life of the nation.”
While the attack on the Capitol marked a watershed moment in their relationship, Pence and Trump were able to come to an understanding. “The president and I sat down in the days that followed that, we spoke about it, talked through it, we parted amicably,” he assured. That didn’t mean they were friends, though. They wouldn’t talk again for nearly four years and, when they did, it was a brief exchange at Jimmy Carter’s funeral in January 2025.
Pence was glad for the opportunity to greet his former political partner. “He greeted me when he came down the aisle. I stood up, extended my hand. He shook my hand. I said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President,’ and he said, ‘Thanks, Mike,'” Pence revealed on the “Christianity Today” podcast. Given their history, the brief moment captured headlines across the country. And Pence was glad it did. “I’ve heard from people around the country who saw [our] handshake, and in that handshake, saw some hope that we might be moving past those difficult days. That’s certainly my hope,” he added.