Former US Vice President Mike Pence enters 2024 Presidential race as challenger to Trump

Republican former Vice President of the US, Mike Pence has submitted his paperwork with the US Federal Election Commission announcing his campaign for President in 2024 and setting up a fight against former President Donald Trump.

Pence will launch his presidential campaign officially on Wednesday with a video in the early voting state of Iowa, joining an already crowded field.

Pence will address the nation at a live televised town hall event at 9:00 pm (0100 GMT Thursday), setting up the unusual scenario of two former running mates becoming rivals.

Pence served the position of Vice President from 2017 to 2021. He was a loyal deputy to former US President Donal Trump but refused to back when he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden.

Pence has increasingly distanced himself from Trump, saying his encouragement of the rioters who attacked the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, endangered him and his family, who were in the building at the time.

Berated constantly by Trump after Joe Biden's victory -- and even heckled with chants of "traitor!" at a conservative conference in Florida -- Pence had continued to praise his assailant in public.

That eventually changed as Trump's torrent of false claims of election fraud led to a mob chanting for Pence to be hanged at the US Capitol.

Since the riot, Pence has called out Trump for endangering his family and other people at the Capitol, and has emphasized his differences with Trump on issues ranging from the handling of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to abortion rights.