Pence Says Trump Shouldn’t Be Disqualified Even If CONVICTED — Says ‘That Needs To Be Left To The American People’

So, the first thing to remember about a conservative is that their beliefs aren't based on anything more than what they want. Conservatives build their ideology around their identity, not the other way around. It's certainly not based on rational thought or reality. A conservative decides what is good for them personally, and then looks for ideas and causes that support themselves.

To answer your question, Pence wants to remain relevant. Trump, like it or not, has a devoted following of die-hard supporters. Pence wants to be in the race long enough to have a crack at being the second choice should Trump's legal woes keep him off the ballot. What Pence says and what Pence believes are entirely unrelated.

Fwiw many people applaud Pence for not caving to the pressure from Trump to try to subvert the electoral process. I don't. Pence had neither the authority nor the will to make Trump the winner of the election. Pence did what was best for Pence, and had he attempted to interfere, he would have been equally unsuccessful and would now be considered a coconspirator. I doubt he imagined Trump would still have a loyal following, but that's just because I think Pence is also kind of stupid.

Politics is about perception. Trump voters perceive Pence as the guy who failed them. He wants people to perceive him as the responsible adult during the Trump administration, doing his duty as a Republican and as VP. He also wants donors to perceive him as an influential leader, so they keep giving him money. Of course none of those things are true, so for an outside observer trying to parse the logic of his situation, it's a bit of a play within a play within a bowl of vomit.