Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday criticized Donald Trump’s miracles that Mr Pence could overturn the results of the 2020 election, saying the former president was “wrong.”
In a speech to the Conservative Federalist Society in Florida, Mr Pence spoke of Mr Trump’s reassuring efforts this week to further the false claim that he could have done anything to prevent Joe Biden from taking office.
“President Trump is wrong,” Mr. Pence said. “I had no right to cancel the election.” While Mr. Pence in the past defended his actions in Jan. 6 and said that he and Mr. Trump probably will not see “eye to eye” on what happened that day, words uttered Friday show his strong opposition to Mr. Trump so far.
And they came as Mr. Pence laid the groundwork for a 2024 presidential election, which could put him in direct competition with his former boss, who was also making fun of his return.
In a statement Tuesday, Mr Trump said the committee was investigating Jan’s attack. 6 at the Capitol should instead investigate “why Mike Pence did not return the votes for re-authorization.” And on Sunday, he criticized Pence, falsely claiming “he could have ruined the election!” The vice-presidents play a ceremonial role only in the counting of votes at the Electoral College, and any attempt to intervene in the counting would represent a major divergence in the preceding and democratic processes.
Mr Pence, in a statement Friday, described Jan. 6, 2021, “as a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol.” Mr Pence was inside the building, presiding over a joint congressional hearing on the presidential election, when a crowd of Trump supporters stormed inside, beating police and hunting down lawyers.
Mr Pence, who had issued a statement earlier that day stating that he had no authority to overthrow voters, was rushed to a safe place as some protesters chanted “Hang Mike Pence!” Pence planned his actions that day in line with his role as a constitutional observer.
“The American people must know that we will always keep our oath in the Constitution, even if it is politically correct to do otherwise,” he told the party on Friday.
He noted that, under Article II of Phase One of the Constitution, “elections are held at the state level, not Congress” and that “the only role of Congress in relation to the Electoral College is to open and count the votes sent and approved by the provinces. “In fact, there is no non-American view other than the idea that anyone can elect the president of the United States,” he added. “Under the Constitution I had no right to change the outcome of our election.
Mr Pence also acknowledged the ongoing outburst of anger at many at the Trump administration. However, he said: “The fact is, there is more to risk than our party or political fortunes. Men and women, if we lose confidence in the Constitution, we will not just lose elections – we will lose our country. ”