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President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at a rally on Nov. 26, 2019, in Sunrise, Fla.
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at a rally in 2019.Joe Raedle / Getty Images file

Trump, Pence, DeSantis on tap for North Carolina GOP convention

Donald Trump is the keynote speaker for the North Carolina GOP's convention. His former VP and another potential 2024 primary opponent will be there too.

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Former President Donald Trump and his one-time ticket-mate will both speak at the North Carolina Republican Party's state convention in June, the state party announced on Monday.

Trump is slated to give the keynote speech, but former Vice President Mike Pence, who may challenge Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, is also set to feature at the event.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another potential presidential contender, is also on the speaking schedule, according to the state party's website.

Of the three men, Trump is the only one who has formally announced his campaign for president, but DeSantis and Pence are widely expected to run. DeSantis could launch his campaign this month, while Pence has said he'll make a decision on whether or not to run by June.

North Carolina is a crucial state on the path to a Republican presidential nomination. In 2016, when Trump won the party's nomination for the first time, the state party sent 72 delegates to the national Republican convention.

The state also hosted a contentious Senate GOP primary last year, where Trump's endorsement of then-Rep. Ted Budd helped propel him to win the nomination over former Gov. Pat McCrory before securing the seat in the fall.

The state party has also stood with Trump in recent years. In 2021, the party's central committee voted to censure then-Sen. Richard Burr, a Republican, for voting to convict Trump in a Senate impeachment trial.