Former President Donald Trump reportedly tried to hold his friendship with former Vice President Mike Pence hostage as he tried to convince the latter to block Congress' election certification in general, according to an excerpt from the upcoming book Peril by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.
When Pence told Trump that the Constitution did not allow him to do anything about the certification process, despite claims from some of Trump's supporters, the president first tried to tempt him with the promise of authority. "But wouldn't it be almost cool to have that power?," Trump reportedly asked.
Pence reportedly assured him he didn't think "any one person" should "have that authority" and held his ground, adding that he had "done everything I could and then some to find a way around this," but "it's simply not possible."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
That's when Trump reportedly began shouting. "You don't understand Mike," he said, according to Woodward and Costa. "You can do this. I don't want to be your friend anymore if you don't do this."
Ultimately, Pence held firm and it appears a wedge did grow between the two in the aftermath, though the precise state of their current relationship has mostly been kept under wraps. Read more from Peril at CNN.
-
Film reviews: 'Wicked: For Good' and 'Rental Family'Feature Glinda the Good is forced to choose sides and an actor takes work filling holes in strangers' lives
-
‘Like a gas chamber’: the air pollution throttling DelhiUnder The Radar Indian capital has tried cloud seeding to address the crisis, which has seen schools closed and outdoor events suspended
-
Political cartoons for November 23Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include a Thanksgiving horn of plenty, the naughty list, and more
-
US government shutdown: why the Democrats ‘caved’In the Spotlight The recent stalemate in Congress could soon be ‘overshadowed by more enduring public perceptions’
-
‘The issue isn’t talent but moral guidance’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Judge halts Trump’s DC Guard deploymentSpeed Read The Trump administration has ‘infringed upon the District’s right to govern itself,’ the judge ruled
-
Trump accuses Democrats of sedition meriting ‘death’Speed Read The president called for Democratic lawmakers to be arrested for urging the military to refuse illegal orders
-
Ted Cruz teases big 2028 movesIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Texas Republican is playing his cards close to his chest, even as others in Washington start looking for hints about the arch-conservative’s future
-
‘It’s ironic in so many ways’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Court strikes down Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read The Texas congressional map ordered by Trump is likely an illegal racial gerrymander, the court ruled
-
Trump defends Saudi prince, shrugs off Khashoggi murderSpeed Read The president rebuked an ABC News reporter for asking Mohammed bin Salman about the death of a Washington Post journalist at the Saudi Consulate in 2018
