Mike Pence's Heart Doesn't Work, Has Pacemaker Installed

Former Vice President Mike Pence had a pacemaker installed Wednesday after experiencing chest- and heart-related symptoms for the past two weeks, CNBC reports.

Pence, 61, needed his heart regulated because of "symptoms associated with slow heart rate." The surgery was performed at a Virginia hospital; Pence will be out of commission for a few days but is expected to fully recover. The onetime governor of Indiana released a statement thanking the staff at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus and the consultation of his Indiana doctors.

Even though Pence is despised by most Democrats, partly because of his history of demonizing and targeting LGBTQ+ people, many of Donald Trump's most ardent supporters can't stand him either. Much ire was directed at Pence over the certification of Joe Biden's victory over Pence's boss, Trump.

As president of the Senate, Pence was tasked with certifying the presidential election results; Trump and his followers urged him to circumvent the Electoral College and deny Biden's victory. Even though Pence had no constitutional power to overturn the election, Trump accused his vice president of not doing enough to steal the White House and whipped up his followers to storm the U.S. Capitol on January 6. Pence was specifically targeted by some in the mob and was evacuated from the capitol during the insurrection.

Now, as he has a documented heart problem, Pence's presidential ambitions seem even more distant.