Mike Pence refutes Trump on Jan. 6, urges GOP voters to pick different candidate in 2024

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

Published 10:14 a.m. ET Jan. 7, 2024 | Updated 10:14 a.m. ET Jan. 7, 2024


Former Vice President Mike Pence, who said his life was threatened during the violent U.S. Capitol attack three years ago, is refuting the unsubstantiated claims of former President Donald Trump and encouraging Republicans to choose another candidate in 2024.

Pence, once fiercely loyal to his old boss, dismantled Trump's recent description in Iowa that Jan. 6, 2021, was "peaceful" and the work of "patriots." Trump also describes more than 1,000 people, who were convicted in connection with crimes on Jan. 6, as political "hostages." And the former president has made unsubstantiated claims that the Jan. 6 attack was the work of the FBI. "The truth is that this was a riot that should never have happened," Pence said Sunday morning during an interview on CNN's State of the Union.

He also emphasized what he has said before − Trump's words were reckless on Jan. 6 and Pence did his duty in certifying the will of voters who elected President Joe Biden in 2020. Pence, who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, said he saw people breaking windows, ransacking the Capitol. "It just infuriated me," Pence said. "I remember thinking, you know, 'Not this, not here, not at the United States Capitol.'"

He thanked the FBI for bringing criminals to justice and countered Trump's false claims. "I've heard the many repeated assurances from the FBI that they were not involved and I take them at their word," Pence said.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/01/07/pence-refutes-trump-jan-6/72140483007/

[Raven123]

1. Now that his career is in the tank, he gets off the fence.

[Novara]

10. Looks like he finally woke up to something the rest of us knew a long time ago - he has no political future.

[emulatorloo]

27. Dunno, Pretty sure he was a star witness against Trump in front of the J6 Grand Jury.

[Raven123]

51. Perhaps, but not because he volunteered

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/06/politics/mike-pence-subpoena/index.html

[emulatorloo]

53. Hardly put up a fight, just enough to keep the MAGA murder threats to a minimum.

Wrote all about it in his book before he testified too.

[Raven123]

55. So let me see. He wanted to profit from his "testimony."

Minimize murder threats? Not sure I can buy into that. Heck MAGA was threatening to hang him then. The chasm between him and Liz Cheney is huge. Pence should have come out strong starting on J6 and continued.

IMO he wanted to have it both ways, like every nearly other GOP presidential hopeful, wanted the MAGAs to vote for him, but he played on their turf.

[Bluethroughu]

34. To late! He should have worked the Impeachment instead of supporting him, since he knew what rump was doing.

Then said he'd vote for him, if he was the nominee! Go FLY away.

[Lunabell]

2. I guess his cryptorchidism is slowly fixing itself.

Maybe laying on of hands spiritual healing actually works.

[brush]

3. Ok, Pence, ok. I'm hearing you, seeing you making statements for what's best for the nation.

Next is to just say vote Democratic. You know it's true.

[Lovie777]

4. He would still vote for shithole................................

[Bluethroughu]

36. When he was running, said he'd vote for him if he was the nominee.

[3catwoman3]

5. If he were asked again to be VP...

...what would he do/say?

[ShazzieB]

11. Pence will never be asked to rejoin Team Trump, and if he was, he'd say no.

When he agreed to be Trump's running mate back in 2016, Pence had no idea what he was getting himself into. He knows now, and he also knows damned well that Trump tried to get him killed on January 6. I can't imagine him ever willingly walking into that hornet's nest again.

It's a moot point anyway, because Pence has been on the Orange One's sh*t list ever since he declined to break the law for Trump on J6, and I'm pretty sure that once someone goes on that list, they are there to say. Trump holds grudges, BIG time. I don't think he ever forgets anything that he considers an act of disloyalty, and in his tiny mind Pence refusing to help him steal the election and stay in power was the ultimate act of disloyalty.

Bottom line: Trump would never welcome Pence back into the fold, and Pence has no desire to return.

[3catwoman3]

22. I agree that there's no chance in hell this would happen...

…yet I can’t help but wonder about it because so many people who have been part of Trump’s administration have expressed assorted negative opinions, yet cannot cross that final line of saying they would not vote for him again.

[ShazzieB]

24. Inow wgat you mean.

For some of them, I'm afraid that the party affiliation of a candidate trumps everything else (pardon the pun), and voting for someone without an R next to their name is just too hard!

[oldsoftie]

14. I say he'd turn it down. Not that it'll ever happen.

[3catwoman3]

20. I don't think it will happen either. I'm just curious...

…because so many people who have been involved with Trump have been moderately vocal about saying he’s not fit to hold office again, but cannot bring themselves to say they would not vote for him if he were the nominee.

[emulatorloo]

28. He'll be too busy appearing as Jack Smith's star witness in the J6 trial.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

6. Did the fly finally wrest control?

[LiberalFighter]

7. What does his brother Gregg Pence have to say? He ain't exactly all together.

[OAITW r.2.0]

32. Was Gregg the brother selling Cummings Tractors to Russia?

[Mr.Bill]

8. I grade that statement a C.

The A statement calls it an insurrection that Trump caused and led.

[CharleyDog]

9. also, an apology would be fitting, "I'm regret, and I'm sorry I enabled this sociopath con-man". nt

[PortTack]

12. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[OAITW r.2.0]

33. Seriously, if Pence gave a shit and truly believed the American Idea....

he'd be begging forgiveness from all American's for giving religious cover to Trump.

[Aviation Pro]

13. Welcome to the Vertebrate Club

Let's see how long you last.

[FakeNoose]

38. Are you kidding? The MAGAs will eat him alive

Mikey's gonna scurry back to his hiding place very quickly.

[oldsoftie]

15. he's already been branded a RINO, traitor, "uni-party" member, etc.

As have all the REST of the republicans who dare speak against dear Leader.

[rubbersole]

16. Now confess and explain why Paul Manafort made tfg pick you for V.P.

[emulatorloo]

29. That's easy. To get crazy Christians to feel ok with voting for Adulterous Don.

[Grins]

17. Too late.

[Stuart G]

18. Not the first, and Not the last...K and R

[twodogsbarking]

19. Well, they did intend to hang him. Forgiveness has its limit.

[kimbutgar]

21. He better watch his back because he's going to be getting a lot of death threats from TFG zombie supporters

[ArkansasDemocrat1]

23. Schroedinger's Spine has reappeared!

[SouthernDem4ever]

25. In his case, never is better than late.

He waited too long - Orange mushroom has convinced his cult followers that Mike is a fake.

[Kennah]

26. Did Mother approve this?

[emulatorloo]

30. Trump tried to get him and Mother killed on J6, so pretty sure Mother is ok with it.

[Kennah]

39. Mother is NOT to be trifled with

[emulatorloo]

42. ...

BRILLIANT!

[LudwigPastorius]

31. Awww...he's holding a grudge just because...

Donny set a rabid mob of Nazi shitheads after him to rip him apart.

Geez, Mike! Forgive and forget, right?

[Kennah]

40. Just like Pooty forgave Prigozhin

[OAITW r.2.0]

35. When the Religious con met the World Class Con.....

it was no contest. Your God wasn't a factor in Trump's power grab.

[OAITW r.2.0]

37. Who you voting for in 2024, Mike?

(1) Bail
(2) Trump
(3) Biden

Bail includes 3rd Party vote waste.

Only one option is best for this country.

[BadGimp]

41. When has this EVER happened?

v

[Botany]

43. Now he says something ?

How about when Trump called him a pussy for not breaking the law and overturning
the election or when Trump blamed Pence for his crowd looking to kill him?

[RussBLib]

46. Better late than never

I suppose

https://russblib.blogspot.com/?m=1

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

44. Pence was so infuriated by the 1/6 insurrection that

it has taken him three years to calm down to the point where he can make an honest and accurate response denouncing Trump and the insurrectionists. /s

[Kennah]

45. Mother and Her Boy are now one

[DFW]

47. What exquisite irony. When Trump said he hoped Pence would do the right thing on Jan. 6th.......

Pence DID do the right thing. Trump was furious, and urged Pence's lynching.
That sort of sentiment can tend to loosen even the strongest ties of loyalty.

[sakabatou]

48. It took him this long? JFC...

[malaise]

49. Was a coup that failed not a riot

That is all

[LiberalLovinLug]

50. Why the hell would the FBI ever initiate a coup against the government?

Same goes with "antifa" or the "deep state dems".

If the Biden government was set to take over again anyways? What kind of idiot would think that the FBI....even if they were dead set against Trump......would think its a great idea to secretly concoct a plan to make Trump look even worse after he already lost! What would be the point and even if that was accomplished, is that really worth the risk of staining the reputation and proud history of the FBI with this kind of subterfuge?

Its just ridiculous.
And its sickening to watch smarter Republican reps stoke this stupidity for their own political benefit.

[EndlessWire]

52. He waited until he had nothing to lose

to speak up on a matter that deeply concerns the American people. This is illustrative of why he wasn't suitable to be President.

Hell, truth be told, he was motivated after the revelation that Trump said, "So what?" when he was told that Pence was in peril. I think it's taken ALL this time to realize that Trump was probably waiting for the lynching. Goodness, we were lucky on that day!

Giving credit where credit is due, he did his job. Also, he was smart enough not to get into the car. That's a lesson for us all. But, he never called it like it is until now. It IS good to see that he's telling people not to vote for Trump. It helps.

[keithbvadu2]

54. When Pence thought he had a chance to run for office, he was still kissing Trump's ass long after Jan6.