Trump and Pence. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

In a White House full of obsequious ass-kissers ever eager to stroke President Trump’s fragile ego, Vice-President Mike Pence stands apart. We’ve seen it in public, where Pence’s praise of Trump borders on the pornographic. In private, he uses a different tactic to please Trump, though, according to a new report from Axios. Instead of licking Trump’s boots, he makes fun of his own.

Since the campaign, Pence has played on his “aw shucks” second-fiddle role, even joking about how much poorer he is than Trump. He told members at a Republican retreat that he comes from “the Joseph A. Bank wing of the West Wing.” Trump loves that.

The report suggests that Pence has other methods of staying out of trouble and in Trump’s good graces. These include rarely challenging Trump in private and playing lap dog in public. Pence avoids media attention and public spectacles, unless it’s at the behest of his boss. He stays out of the fray when Trump courts controversy on issues such as Charlottesville and Stormy Daniels, often by pleading ignorance. And every time they’re seen together, Pence shows Trump that he’s not just loyal — he’s in love.