*By Carlo Versano* So far, Vice President Mike Pence has struck a remarkable political balance: portraying a seemingly limitless devotion to the president, sidestepping all the administration's controversies, and also seeding his own base of support for the possibility that Trump will leave office before his term is up. Such is the argument of "Shadow President," a new book by political journalists Michael D'Antonio and Peter Eisner. "Mike has a history of plausible deniability," Eisner said Monday in an interview on Cheddar, adding that the VP had "no reason" to pen the anonymous op-ed roiling the Capital. Trump's second-in-command has calculated that blind allegiance to the president is in his best political interest, said Eisner, who added that Pence often appears to look at his boss with a "loving gaze," an observation that prompted George Will to [call] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-no-longer-the-worst-person-in-government/2018/05/09/10e59eba-52f1-11e8-a551-5b648abe29ef_story.html?utm_term=.8d24abadf3d5) him "America's most repulsive public figure." "He has been in lock step behind the president on every point," Eisner said. One of Pence's main roles ー something that's always a central part of the VP gig ー has been to act as a surrogate for Trump, traversing the country and speaking to the president's grassroots supporters, often whipping up the crowd by saying, "I come here with greetings from the president of the United States." In this case, Pence hopes he can turn that base of support into his own, should the time come, Eisner said. If Pence becomes president, either by Trump's downfall or the rise of his own campaign, Americans should expect a continuation of Trump policies and an extreme ideological bend, said Eisner, who referred to Pence as "the most successful Christian supremacist in American history." "Shadow President: The Truth About Mike Pence" is available in stores and online. For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/what-would-a-pence-presidency-look-like).

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US businesses that rely on Chinese imports express relief and anxiety
American businesses that rely on Chinese goods are reacting with muted relief after the U.S. and China agreed to pause their exorbitant tariffs on each other’s products for 90 days. Many companies delayed or canceled orders after President Donald Trump last month put a 145% tariff on items made in China. Importers still face relatively high tariffs, however, as well as uncertainty over what will happen in the coming weeks and months. The temporary truce was announced as retailers and their suppliers are looking to finalize their plans and orders for the holiday shopping season. They’re concerned a mad scramble to get goods onto ships will lead to bottlenecks and increased shipping costs.
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