Former Vice President Mike Pence is not sure that he and former President Donald Trump will “ever see eye to eye” on the events that occurred on January 6.
“As I said that day, January 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” Pence said during his speech on Thursday at the Hillsborough County Republican Committee’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in New Hampshire.
He later added, “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.”
Pence was presiding over the joint session of Congress when it met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. His role was largely ceremonial. On that day, protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol and some rioters shouted “Hang Mike Pence.” Prior to that, Trump had pressured Pence to throw out electoral votes.
Watch the video below:
Former Vice President Mike Pence: "As I said that day, January 6th was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol…President Trump and I have spoken many times since we've left office and I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on that day…" pic.twitter.com/pTELAH243d
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 4, 2021
Following Pence being escorted out of the Senate chamber on January 6, Trump tweeted 10 minutes later, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”
Pence received criticism for his Thursday remarks from attorney George Conway, who suggested Pence is “downplaying the most significant disagreement you would ever possibly have.”
“He’s worried about harming himself by standing up for democracy,” George Conway added on CNN’s “New Day.” George Conway is the husband of the former counselor to the president in the Trump administration Kellyanne Conway. He is a persistent Trump critic.
Additionally, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said on “Morning Joe” Friday, “His family’s life was in danger. This is not an opinion. This is a matter of fact. It’s the timeline. And Republicans will tell you that as well as Democrats that were there. His life was endangered. He was chased out. He had secret service rushing him and hiding his family.”
Scarborough added, “When Donald Trump found out about that, he then knowing Pence was in danger, then tweeted something to stir up the crowds who were already chanting ‘Hang Mike Pence.’ This wasn’t a little misunderstanding. This isn’t ‘you say potato, I say potato.’ This is about life and death, and he wants to get elected to a position.”
Mike Pence downplayed the "most significant disagreement you would ever possibly have," George Conway says about the former Vice President's speech on Thursday.
— CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish (@CNNThisMorning) June 4, 2021
"He's worried about harming himself by standing up for democracy."https://t.co/nZznjMuvNO pic.twitter.com/32QAOfOrq2
In a letter to Congress in January, Pence wrote that he did not have “unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.” This came in defiance of Trump.
“Some believe that as Vice President, I should be able to accept or reject electoral votes unilaterally. Others believe that electoral votes should never be challenged in a Joint Session of Congress. After a careful study of our Constitution, our laws, and our history, I believe neither view is correct,” Pence also wrote.
Trump hit back at Pence, claiming the former vice president “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) told Tulsa World the week of the Capitol riot that he had “never seen Pence as angry as he was” amid Trump’s pressure on him to help overturn the election results.
Trump took aim at Pence again in early May, when he said in a statement, “Had Mike Pence referred the information on six states (only need two) back to State Legislatures, and had gutless and clueless MINORITY Leader Mitch McConnell (he blew two seats in Georgia that should have never been lost) fought to expose all of the corruption that was presented at the time, with more found since, we would have had a far different Presidential result, and our Country would not be turning into a socialist nightmare!”
“Never give up!” he added.
