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Former Vice President Mike Pence departs following the inauguration of US President Joe Biden in Washington, United States, January 20, 2021. Melina Mara / Pool via REUTERS / File Photo
WASHINGTON, June 24 (Reuters) – Former US Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday he was proud of his decision to approve the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential victory, fending off harsh criticism of former President Donald Trump.
Pence was on the United States Capitol on January 6 when pro-Trump rioters launched a deadly attack on the building with the ultimately unsuccessful goal of preventing Congress from formally accepting Biden’s victory over Trump in the election presidential election in November.
“I will always be proud that we have done our part on this tragic day to bring Congress back together and fulfill our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States,” Pence told Presidential Library Ronald Reagan de Simi Valley, California.
Some of the Jan.6 rioters chanted threats, including “hang Mike Pence,” who refused Trump’s request to block Biden’s certification of victory, an authority the vice president did not have.
The violence left five people dead. Some 500 people have now been arrested for participating in the assault.
“There are members of our party who believed that as chairman of the joint session I had the power to reject or return state-certified electoral votes,” Pence said. “But the Constitution does not give the vice president such authority.”
Pence, who hid in the middle of the fray, then attended Biden’s nomination. Trump did not attend the ceremony and lambasted Pence, saying he lacked courage.
“I understand the disappointment many feel about the last election,” Pence said. “But there is more at stake than our party and our political fortunes right now. If we lose faith in the Constitution, we won’t just lose the elections – we will lose our country.”
Pence’s speech came as he tried to carve out a role for himself in helping Republicans win Congress in 2022, and contemplates a possible candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Last week in Orlando, Florida, a handful of attendees booed Pence and shouted “traitor” when he addressed a conservative Faith & Freedom Coalition conference.
Pence, in a speech in New Hampshire on June 3, called the attack on Capitol Hill a “dark day.” He said he has spoken with Trump several times since they left office, but that they may never “agree” to the January 6 riot.
Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Jason Lange and Michael Perry
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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