If you have been worried that the events of January 6 might have damaged Donald Trump’s relationship with the vice-president he never seemed that personally fond of, rest assured: Pence suggested they’ve agreed to disagree about Trump’s apparent disregard for his safety on that “tragic day.”
While speaking at the Hillsborough County GOP’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner in New Hampshire Thursday, former vice-president Mike Pence “spent nearly 40 minutes … lauding Trump and their administration’s accomplishments and criticizing President Biden’s first several months in office,” the Washington Post reported.
Pence addressed the January 6 attack, suggesting he bears no ill will toward Trump for egging on his supporters — and in fact, he doesn’t care for how Democrats use the violent attack on the Capitol to cast aspersions on the MAGA cause.
“January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled. The Capitol was secured. And that same day, we reconvened the Congress and did our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States,” Pence said.
He continued, “You know, President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office, and I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on that day. But I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years. And I will not allow Democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of Americans.”
To many Trump supporters that falsely believe the 2020 election was stolen, Pence’s decision to preside over the Senate on January 6 as Congress attempted to certify the election results was a betrayal. The former vice-president and his family had to be evacuated as pro-Trump rioters breached the Capitol doors and struggled with law enforcement. Video from the incident showed several of the rioters appearing to chant, “Hang Mike Pence.”
In the aftermath of January 6, Pence has never publicly criticized Trump for the events of that day, even though the former president tweeted that he lacked “courage” around the same time he was being evacuated.
During his speech at the Ellipse earlier in the day, Trump also called out his vice-president repeatedly for what he perceived as a lack of action. “Mike Pence, I hope you’re going to stand up for the good of our Constitution and for the good of our country. And if you’re not, I’m going to be very disappointed in you,” Trump said during the speech.
Ironically, Pence complimented Trump on Thursday for showing Republicans that they shouldn’t “back down,” even as he made it clear that he — like many in his party — is happy to submit to Trump’s will.
“I learned a lot serving alongside President Donald Trump. Some people think we’re a little bit different,” Pence said. “But I think what President Trump showed us was what Republicans can accomplish when our leaders stand firm on conservative principles and don’t back down … It was four years of consequence, four years of results. It was four years of promises made and promises kept.”
