Pence issues strongest condemnation of Trump's Jan. 6 actions yet: The president 'endangered me and my family'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized former President Donald Trump for being "part of the problem" on the day of the Jan. 6 capitol attack, calling his words online and at the rally "reckless" in an interview with ABC's World News Tonight.
The interview marks Pence's first appearance on network television since the Jan. 6 riot occurred, and his strongest remarks on the day. ABC's David Muir asked Pence about Trump's tweets that day claiming Pence lacked the "courage" to use his power to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
"It angered me," Pence responded. "But I turned to my daughter, who was standing nearby. And I said, 'It doesn't take courage to break the law, it takes courage to uphold the law.' The president's words were reckless. It was clear he decided to be part of the problem."
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.
Pence rebuked Trump's speech before the riot that forced Pence and other officials into lockdown, saying Trump's stance "endangered me and my family and everyone at the Capitol building."
During his tenure as Trump's second-in-command, Pence stood beside him through several controversies, but his tone seemed to shift in the aftermath of the riot. At the time, some of Trump's supporters chanted "hang Mike Pence" after Trump began falsely claiming he could reject Electoral College votes.
Pence denounced Trump's assumptions a month later, saying, "President Trump is wrong." Since then, a public rift has emerged, with Trump announcing that the former vice president "very greatly disappointed me."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
-
ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
Jan. 6: Ultimately a success?Feature The White House website offers a revisionist history of the Jan. 6 coup attempt
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
