'Laughable and absurd': Mike Pence slams 'disgraceful' report that says he's running a shadow presidential campaign

Vice President Mike Pence dismissed a recent New York Times report that said he is laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign if President Donald Trump does not run in 2020.

In a statement on Sunday, Pence slammed the Times, saying he "could not be more honored to be working side by side with a president who is making America great again."

"Today's article in the New York Times is disgraceful and offensive to me, my family, and our entire team," Pence said. "The allegations in this article are categorically false and represent just the latest attempt by the media to divide this Administration."

He added: "Whatever fake news may come our way, my entire team will continue to focus all our efforts to advance the President's agenda and see him re-elected in 2020. Any suggestion otherwise is both laughable and absurd."

On Saturday, the Times thoroughly laid out the vice president's recent political events and hires, which have been raising eyebrows in Republican circles for months.

The Times reported that Pence has set up an independent fundraising committee and packed his schedule with events with party donors. And his advisers have already signaled to party power brokers that Pence will run if Trump does not.

Trump's weak poll numbers and the uncertain course of the various investigations into his 2016 campaign have created uncertainty about whether he will seek reelection in 2020. Several Republicans like Ohio Gov. John Kasich have left the door open to potentially running in 2020 even if the president does run again.