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Topline
Former Vice President Mike Pence said the he, his family and everyone at the Capitol’s safety was endangered by former President Donald Trump’s “reckless” comments on January 6 last year, marking his latest public criticism of Trump at a time when some Republicans are beginning to ask if his election denial played a role in the party’s poor midterm performance.
Former Vice President Mike Pence delivers a speech at The Heritage Foundation titled The Freedom … [+]
CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Key Facts
In an excerpt of an ABC News interview that aired Sunday evening, Pence said he was “angered” by Trump’s tweet which blamed the former vice president for not having the “courage” to overturn the election results.
After seeing the tweet Pence said he turned to his daughter and told her that it “doesn’t take courage to break the law” but courage was needed to uphold it.
Pence also condemned Trump’s “reckless” comments and actions at the “Stop the Steal” rally in Washington hours before the capitol riots, adding “it was clear he decided to be part of the problem.”
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Pence is set to release his memoir “So Help Me God” on Tuesday, the same day Trump has promised a “very big announcement”—widely expected to be his formal announcement for a 2024 Presidential Run.
Crucial Quote
In his memoir Pence writes after he told Trump he doesn’t have the power under the constitution to choose which votes to accept or reject, to which the former president responded: “You’re too honest…Hundreds and thousands are gonna hate your guts… People are going to think you are stupid.” Pence adds that he said the same thing once again on January 6 to which Trump responded: “You’ll go down as a wimp…If you do that, I made a big mistake five years ago!”
Key Background
Speaking at a ‘Stop the Steal’ rally in Washington hours before the Capitol riots Trump called out Pence saying his vice president “is going to have to come through for us.” After Pence did not make an effort to stop the certification, Trump tweeted “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done.” As thousands of Trump’s supporters stormed into the Capitol premises that day many chanted “Hang Mike Pence,” as he had to be scurried away to a safe location. In the past few days several other Republican leaders have begun to question Trump’s influence on the party amid concerns that his election denialism may have played a key role in the party’s poor midterm performance.
Further Reading
Trump’s words on 1/6 ‘endangered me and my family and everyone at the Capitol’ (ABC News)
