Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday delivered another strong rebuke of his old boss, former President Donald Trump, for the latter's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Speaking at the annual Gridiron Club dinner, a lavish event thrown in Washington, D.C., by a journalistic group, Pence rebuffed Trump's claim that the vice president could have altered the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to President Biden.
"President Trump was wrong. I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day," Pence said. The former vice president added that "history will hold Donald Trump accountable" for his actions.
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In addition, Pence also shot back at Republicans who have attempted to downplay the events of Jan. 6. This includes people such as Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has framed the attackers as tourists.
"Tourists don't injure 140 police officers by sightseeing," Pence said. "Tourists don't break down doors to get to the speaker of the House or voice threats against public officials." He added that "what happened that day was a disgrace, and it mocks decency to portray it in any other way."
The former vice president also claimed that the public has a right to transparency regarding Jan. 6, despite the fact that his attorneys filed a request to block a subpoena for his testimony about the attack just days prior.
All of this comes in the shadow of Pence potentially launching his own presidential campaign for 2024. He has previously said that he was talking about the possibility with his family.
The Washington Post reported that Pence joked about his potential candidacy during the dinner, saying he would "unreservedly support the Republican nominee for president in 2024, if it's me."
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