Former Vice President Mike Pence insisted he and former President Donald Trump still talk and said he is proud of their “Make America Great Again” agenda, even if the two have drifted apart since the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Several months removed from office, Pence stoked speculation by delivering remarks at the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner sponsored by the Hillsborough County Republican Committee in New Hampshire, an early voting state, and made it clear he’s not going to shy away from his record at the White House.
MIKE PENCE’S CONGRESSMAN BROTHER OPPOSES COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE CAPITOL RIOT
“President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office,” Pence said before alluding to the events of Jan. 6, when a mob of rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. “I don’t know if we will 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.”
On the day of the riot, Pence, former Indiana governor and U.S. congressman, was in the room presiding over Congress’s count of electoral votes after he made headlines for his refusal to go along with Trump’s push to overturn the results. Pence was evacuated to a secure location as some of the rioters threatened his life. He later broke with Trump again in choosing to attend Biden’s inauguration while Trump skipped out on the festivities.
“As I said that night, Jan. 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States of America,” Pence said just before his comments about Trump.
“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 laws of the United States,” he added.
Hundreds of people have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot, and investigations and prosecutions are still underway months later. A proposed commission to investigate the riot had been passed by the Democratic-led House but did not gain enough votes in the Senate.
Pence’s address fostered speculation the former vice president is considering a presidential run in 2024. Trump, too, has flirted with the idea but has said he will wait until after the 2022 midterm elections to make a decision.
During his speech, Pence also criticized the rise of critical race theory courses in public school curricula, defended state legislatures’ ambitions to reform voting rules, and painted Biden as a far-left liberal.
In addition, Pence dismissed the idea that black people are more at risk of being victims of police brutality, pushing against budget cuts for law enforcement agencies that gained steam last summer following the death of George Floyd and other police-involved incidents.
“America is not a racist country,” Pence said. “It’s past time for Americans to discard the left-wing myth of systemic racism.”
Until his latest appearance, Pence has said little about his thoughts on the events of Jan. 6 that left a total of five people dead.
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Until his latest appearance, Pence has said little about his thoughts on the events of Jan. 6 that left a total of five people dead.
