NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Pence spent more than four years standing in President Donald Trump’s shadow, refusing to criticize or allow sunlight between them. But as the former vice president lays the groundwork for a potential presidential campaign, Pence has been distancing himself from his former boss. He’s directly rebutted the former president’s false claims about the 2020 election. He’s stated bluntly that Trump was “wrong” to insist that Pence could have unilaterally overturned the results. And he has said there is no room in the party for Vladimir Putin apologists. Those and other comments are part of an effort by Pence to craft a political identity independent of Trump.