Mike Pence to headline Forum Club of the Palm Beaches luncheon

Former Vice President Mike Pence is visiting his former boss’ home county this week to keynote a noon event and field questions from attendees.

He’s headlining a luncheon hosted by the nonprofit Forum Club of the Palm Beaches on Friday as part of a seasonal, yearly series of high-profile guests of varying political views.

The event is already sold out, but virtual tickets are still available.

Pence is heading into what some may view as enemy territory. Since his falling out with Donald Trump in January 2021 that culminated in supporters of the President calling for him to be hanged outside the U.S. Capitol, Pence hasn’t been shy about criticizing the nation’s top executive official.

Last month, he posted an article he wrote more than a decade ago about the limits of presidential power after Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “He who saves his country does not violate any Law.”

He’s also been delivering speeches urging the President to stand with longstanding foreign allies and lobbying members of Congress while aides write letters and opinion columns.

Pence and those who work with him at Advancing American Freedom, his political advocacy group, stress they are not looking to take on the “Never Trump” mantle. They intend to praise the administration when they agree with it, while raising concerns when they don’t, advocating for longtime conservative principles that have fallen out of favor as Trump’s “Make America Great Again” brand of populism has taken hold.

“We’re calling balls and strikes here,” Pence told The Associated Press.

Pence will join a list of past Forum Club speakers who CEO Sarah Elwell described as coming from a “broad variety of industries and viewpoints.”

All speakers are unpaid, and audience queries are reviewed in advance to ensure they are fair, appropriate and “represent a diversity of questions.” Speeches last about 30 minutes. The event runs for an hour.

Past speakers have included former President Jimmy Carter, U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney and forgery expert Frank Abagnale, and more recent presenters like former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former U.S. Attorney General William Barr.

Next month, former U.S. Secretary of State Alejandro Mayorkas and Douglas Ginsburg, Senior Circuit Judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., are scheduled to speak at separate events.

Tickets to Friday’s event at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, located less than 4 miles from Mar-a-Lago, ranged from $55 for members and $80 for guests to $700 for a 10-seat table.

Virtual tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. Republished with permission.