Before the election but after her husband had been chosen vice-presidential running mate, Karen Pence had a choice reaction to Donald Trump and his “Access Hollywood” boastings.

“Karen … was ‘disgusted,’ says a former campaign aide,” according to The Atlantic. “’She finds him reprehensible — just totally vile.’”

Despite the quote being secondhand and dated, Vice President Mike Pence’s office felt a need to respond.

Alyssa Farah, His press secretary, tweeted: “Regarding The Atlantic’s tired, false claim about the VP during the campaign — we denied this in the article and deny it again today. Didn’t happen.”

But even more telling was a contention in the article by McKay Coppins that Pence often signals his distance from Trump.

“Watch Pence give enough speeches, and you’ll notice that this often happens when he’s in front of a friendly crowd,” Coppins began.

“He’ll be witnessing to evangelicals at a mega-church, or addressing conservative supporters at a rally, and when the moment comes for him to pass along the president’s well-wishes, the words are invariably accompanied by an amused little chuckle that prompts knowing laughter from the attendees.

“It’s almost as if, in that brief, barely perceptible moment, Pence is sending a message to those with ears to hear —that he recognizes the absurdity of his situation; that he knows just what sort of man he’s working for; that while things may look bad now, there is a grand purpose at work here, a plan that will manifest itself in due time. ‘Let not your hearts be troubled,’ he seems to be saying. I’ve got this.”

(In fact, The Atlantic article contends, Pence was poised to take the top of the ticket, with Condoleezza Rice, the former Bush secretary of state, as his running mate.)

Others got the message:

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