Amid all of the talk about who former President Donald Trump might be considering as his 2024 running mate, there is no question about one name that is not on his shortlist -- former Vice President Mike Pence.

In addition to their falling out over the disputed results of the 2020 election and subsequent Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, Pence and Trump are now at odds over the issue of abortion, according to Axios.

More specifically, the former partners have clashed over who should play the lead role in regulating abortion procedures, as Trump favors each state devising its own rules while Pence has called for a nationwide federal ban -- and accused Trump of abandoning and leading astray the pro-life movement he once catered to.

Trump says abortion regulation is a states' rights issue

Earlier in April, former President Trump issued a statement outlining his stance on abortion limitations, which he said "the states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both. And whatever they decide must be the law of the land. In this case, the law of the state. Many states will be different, many will have a different number of weeks, or some will have more conservative than others, and that's what they will be."

He praised the six conservative-leaning Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 as being "incredible people, for having the courage to allow this long-term, hard-fought battle to finally end."

"This 50-year battle over Roe v. Wade took it out of the federal hands and brought it into the hearts, minds, and vote of the people in each state, it was really something," Trump added. "Now, it's up to the states to do the right thing."

Pence calls for federal 15-week nationwide abortion ban

In response to former President Trump's stance on abortion, former Vice President Pence published a guest essay in The New York Times in which he accused his former boss of having "betrayed the pro-life movement" while he advanced his own arguments in favor of a federal nationwide ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

"Serving as vice president in the most pro-life administration in American history was one of the greatest honors of my life," Pence wrote. "Of all our accomplishments, I am perhaps most proud that the Supreme Court justices we confirmed voted to send Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history, ending a travesty of jurisprudence that led to the death of more than 63 million unborn Americans."

He praised the Republican states that have since then imposed restrictions on abortions and expressed his concern about Democratic states that have conversely increased access to the procedures, "Which is why I believe the time has come to adopt a minimum national standard restricting abortion after 15 weeks in order to end late-term abortions nationwide."

Critiquing Trump's stance on abortion regulations

As for Trump, Pence said it was "so disheartening for me to see former President Trump’s recent retreat from the pro-life cause. Like so many other advocates for life, I was deeply disappointed when Mr. Trump stated that he considered abortion to be a states-only issue and would not sign a bill prohibiting late-term abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, even if it came to his desk."

"I know firsthand just how committed he was to the pro-life movement during our time in office," he continued, with examples, then stated, "Now not only is Mr. Trump retreating from that position; he is leading other Republicans astray," and observed, "When our leaders aren’t firmly committed to life, others will waver, too. Courage inspires imitation. So does weakness."

"Now is not the time to surrender any ground in the fight for the right to life," Pence concluded. "While the former president has sounded the retreat on life at the national level, I pray that he will rediscover the passion for life that defined our four years in office and rejoin the fight to end late-term abortions in America once and for all. The character of our nation and the lives of generations not yet born demand nothing less."

Who will win the "golden ticket" as Trump's VP pick?

There is still plenty of broad speculation and rumors about who former President Trump might pick as his vice-presidential candidate this year, with The Hill reporting that his eventual selection will effectively win the "golden ticket" of being the Republican front-runner for the 2028 nomination regardless of whether Trump or President Joe Biden wins re-election in the current cycle.

The ever-changing list of VP hopefuls, according to The Guardian, includes members of Congress like Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and JD Vance (R-OH), Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Byron Donalds (R-FL), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA); state governors like Greg Abbott, Ron DeSantis, Kristi Noem, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders; and others like former TV host Tucker Carlson, former Housing Sec. Ben Carson, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senate candidate Kari Lake, and business entrepreneuer Vivek Ramaswamy.