By Andrew White
45th President Donald Trump on Monday fired back at former Vice President Mike Pence after the latter said his former boss would be held “accountable” for the events of January 6, 2021.
The former president asserted that as Vice President, Pence had the authority and legal obligation to demand that certain swing states remedy their reported election problems prior to sending their slates of electors to Congress, in order to ensure the integrity of the election. His refusal to act, especially after telling supporters that some action would be taken, is what Trump claims sparked the unrest on January 6.
“Had he sent the votes back to the legislatures, they wouldn’t have had a problem with Jan. 6, so in many ways you can blame him for Jan. 6,” Trump said to reporters on his plane while en route to Iowa for his rally earlier this week.
“Had he sent them back to Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, the states, I believe, No. 1, you have had a different outcome,” said Trump, “But I also believe you wouldn’t have had ‘Jan. 6’ as we call it.”
The remarks follow Pence’s anti-Trump coming out party at a Washington, D.C. dinner, where he claimed his former boss put his family in danger and will be held “accountable” for the mostly peaceful January 6 protests.
Trump’s remarks follow those made by American Greatness reporter Julie Kelly, a conservative reporter who has followed the January 6 beat for more than two years.
“Pence waited until the joint session of Congress convened at 1pm to release his letter informing Trump (and the public) he didn’t have authority to halt count. He teased for days before that he might even though his aides now say he knew by Jan 4 he wouldn’t do anything,” Kelly wrote earlier this week.
last minute move enraged the crowd. Videos (Ryan Nichols for example) of protesters raging about Pence have been entered as evidence to justify pre trial detention and jail sentences.
Pence is at least partially responsible for pouring fuel on the fire for January 6.
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) March 12, 2023
“His last minute move enraged the crowd. Videos (Ryan Nichols for example) of protesters raging about Pence have been entered as evidence to justify pretrial detention and jail sentences.”