Mike Pence has admitted that, as vice president, he could have rejected the 2020 Electoral College votes and the election results would then have been turned over to the House of Representatives.
"It wasn’t just to ask for a pause, the president specifically asked me and his gaggle of crackpot lawyers asked me to literally reject votes, which would have resulted in the issue being turned over to the House of Representatives, and literally chaos would have ensued," Pence told Fox News host Martha MacCallum on Monday.
In last week's indictment of former President Donald Trump, special prosecutor Jack Smith charged that Trump was "determined to remain in power" after the 2020 election, and for the two months following the election "the Defendant spread lies that there had been outcome-determinative fraud in the election and that he actually won."
Pence broke his silence on the issue after the indictment which was based in part on his testimony to the grand jury: "People can read the indictment and frankly, I’ve said before, I had hoped that it’d not come to this point. You know, I don’t know if the government can meet the standard, the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt for criminal charges, but the American people deserve to know that President Trump and his advisors didn’t just ask me to pause, they asked me to reject votes, return votes, essentially to overturn the election."
Pence is one of several candidates challenging Trump for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. As the former veep routinely polls in the low single digits, having Trump declared ineligible to run would be his best hope.
Meanwhile, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, who was Pence's national security advisor, slammed his former boss on Truth Social on Monday, calling him "passive," while praising Trump.
Kellogg wrote: “I've worked alongside many leaders in my years of service to this Nation. Among them, President Donald J Trump stands apart as a figure of unwavering determination, a deep vision for America, and the courage to take a stand where others wilt. His bold and dramatic leadership style during his presidency resulted in significant achievements for our country.
“For a period of time in the White House, I served as the National Security Adviser to Vice President Pence. While I respect his service to our Nation, I must express my disappointment in his recent actions regarding President Trump. It is not the decisive leadership that we have seen from President Trump.
“Where President Trump is bold and unafraid to challenge the status quo, Pence has often chosen the passive route, avoiding confrontation. This lack of assertiveness combined with an overreliance on failed political consultants like Marc Short has demonstrated a laisse-faire leadership style unworthy of the presidency.
“While President Trump has consistently put America first, prioritizing our citizens, our economy, and global standing, Pence's actions have often seemed more focused on political maneuvering and maintaining his image. That is not what Republican voters want.
“President Trump's dedication to the prosperity and security of the United States is unwavering as is his vision for the future. I believe in the future President Trump envisions. A future that demands bold and decisive leadership, something we have seen in President Trump but not from the former Vice President.”
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Pence just accidentally admitted he could have turned the 2020 election over to the House of Representatives but he didn't because he was worried about 'chaos' That means he admits he knew that he had the legal ability to do that pic.twitter.com/0hHRHLQdq6 — Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 7, 2023
Free Press International
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