Pence Trying To Get President Trump Locked Up
Former Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that he took personal notes during his conversations with former President Trump prior to the Jan. 6 riot, where Trump persistently pressured him to reject the results of the 2020 election during Congress’s certification.
In an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation” that aired on Sunday, Pence explained his occasional practice of jotting down a note or two on his calendar during critical moments to preserve and recall important information. Although he generally didn’t take notes during meetings throughout his four-year term, he made an exception due to the monumental events that were unfolding.
In transcript provided by The Hill, Pence explained, “I generally didn’t make a practice of taking notes in meetings over the four-year period of time, but given the momentous events that were unfolding, I did take a few notes to remind myself of what had been said.”
The recent indictment against Trump included references to Pence’s contemporaneous notes, which had not been reported before. These notes, taken during a meeting on Jan. 4, 2021, documented Trump’s various claims of election fraud and his urging for Pence to send back or reject electoral votes during the Jan. 6 certification.
During the meeting, when Pence pointed out that he lacked the authority to send the votes back to the states, Trump apparently responded, “That’s okay, I prefer the other suggestion,” referring to Pence unilaterally rejecting the votes.
Pence stated that he had a strong understanding of American history and firmly believed that the founding fathers never intended to grant one person the power to decide which Electoral College votes to accept or reject. He asserted that he consistently expressed this view to the president. Despite Trump’s opposing stance, Pence knew his duty and, with a sense of determination, fulfilled it on that momentous day.
He concluded the interview by expressing gratitude for having been able to carry out his duty on that fateful day with the help of divine guidance.
