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."
-
September 13 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday's political cartoons include court-approved racial profiling and America's moral compass
-
Giorgio Armani obituary: designer revolutionised the business of fashionIn the Spotlight ‘King Giorgio’ came from humble beginnings to become a titan of the fashion industry and redefine 20th century clothing
-
Crossword: September 13, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
