Pence and Trump’s Frayed Relationship Leading Up to Jan. 6 Insurrection on Full Display in Latest Special Counsel Filing
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s role in certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election win over Donald Trump and his repeated refusals to help the former president were scrutinized in a detailed court document filed by special counsel Jack Smith on Wednesday. The 165-page filing meticulously recounts the events leading up to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and highlights the growing rift between Pence and Trump, which incited Trump supporters to call for violence against Pence.
The document outlines how Pence communicated to Trump the responses from Arizona and Georgia governors, who reported no evidence of fraud and stated they could not intervene in their states. Trump dismissed Pence’s reports, according to prosecutors. As pressure mounted, Trump began to exert direct and repeated pressure on Pence, his associates orchestrating the pressure campaign from behind the scenes.
On January 1, Trump called Pence, criticizing him for opposing a lawsuit aimed at coercing Pence into aiding Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. During the call, Trump warned Pence that ‘hundreds of thousands’ would ‘hate your guts’ and labeled Pence as ‘too honest.’ On January 5, Trump allegedly met with Pence again to pressure him against certifying the electoral votes. During this meeting, Trump threatened to publicly criticize Pence, prompting a concerned response from a person identified as ‘P8,’ who alerted Pence’s Secret Service detail.
On the morning of January 6, shortly before Trump delivered his speech at the Ellipse, he attempted to pressure Pence once more, but Pence refused, inciting Trump’s fury. This refusal triggered Trump to initiate his last scheme in furtherance of his conspiracies: finding an alternative way to halt the certification of Biden’s presidency. Consequently, on January 6, Trump directed a crowd of agitated supporters, whom he had summoned to Washington with false claims of election fraud, to pressure Pence against certifying the legitimate Electoral College votes and obstruct the certification process.
According to prosecutors, Trump’s conduct during the Capitol riot displayed his desperation as a candidate rather than as a President, leading to Pence being evacuated to a secure location. An unnamed aide rushed to Trump upon learning that Pence had been moved to safety, hoping Trump would act to protect him. However, Trump reportedly responded dismissively, saying, ‘So what?’ As the chaos unfolded at the Capitol, Trump took to Twitter to declare Pence ”t have courage’ reverse the election results. Prosecutors assert that at the time he sent the tweet, Trump was aware that request for to block Electoral College was illegal and that his supporters believed his misleading claims from his speech earlier that day.
