Vice President Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceEx-Pence aide: Trump spent 45 minutes of task force meeting 'going off on Tucker Carlson' instead of talking coronavirus Trump asked Chamber of Commerce to reconsider Democratic endorsements: report Controversial CDC guidelines were written by HHS officials, not scientists: report MORE on Sunday called rumors that he is working behind the scenes to run for president in 2020 "laughable and absurd."

“The American people know that I could not be more honored to be working side by side with a president who is making America great again,” Pence said in a statement.

A New York Times report on Saturday said multiple advisers to Pence claimed he has been hinting to party donors that he is ready to run in 2020 if Trump does not.

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Pence, the former governor of Indiana, has been keeping up a busy political schedule as vice president.

He has reportedly been courting influential donors, hosting events at his Naval Observatory residence.

The vice president also raised $1 million for his political action committee at an event last month, CNN reported.

“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," Pence said in the statement.

A White House spokeswoman shot back at the report that “potentially ambitious” Republican candidates should know “the president is as strong as he’s ever been” in the key election state of Iowa.

Pence's spokesperson on Saturday dismissed the report, saying it is "noting more than wishful thinking by New York Times."

The vice president in his statement called the report "disgraceful and offensive."

“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."

My statement regarding the absurd @NYtimes article. pic.twitter.com/htvYSbS2dy — Vice President Pence (@VP) August 6, 2017

- This report was updated at 11:22 a.m.