Mike Pence Rejects Donald Trump's 'Un-American' Claims He Could Have Overturned 2020 Election, Says He Was 'Proud' To Certify Results
Former vice president Mike Pence fired back at the Republican party and his former boss Donald Trump’s claims that he could have overturned Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
Speaking during an event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., on Thursday, June 24, Pence — who many believe is gearing up for a White House bid in 2024 — asserted that he did his constitutional duty when he led the certification of the election results.
“Now there are those in our party who believe that in my position as presiding officer over the joint session that I possessed the authority to reject or return electoral votes certified by the states,” he told the adoring crowd, according to Insider. “But the Constitution provides the vice president with no such authority before the joint session of Congress.”
Pence continued: “The truth is, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the president. The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone.”
The former VP stated that he will “always be proud” of his role in certifying the election on January 6 following the deadly riot — where a swarm of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, leaving 5 dead, many injured and a country on the brink of turmoil.
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This isn’t the first time Pence has spoken out against his former boss. Earlier this month, the usual staunch ally of Trump set a clear distinction between him and the 45th president when it comes to their viewpoints on the violent riot that rocked D.C. in January.
During a fiery speech at the Hillsborough County Republican Committee’s annual Lincoln-Reagan dinner in New Hampshire on June 3, he called the riot “a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol,” and thanked law enforcement for their “swift action” in securing the area.
Pence told the crowd that he and Trump “have spoken many times since [they] left office.” However, he went against his ally, who has continuously downplayed the events of that frightful day in our nation’s capital, saying he and Trump don’t see “eye to eye” on the deadly actions that took place on January 6.
Pence was inside the Capitol when the rioters pushed through the barriers and attacked police officers in an attempt to stop the counting of the electoral votes that confirmed Biden as president.
