Pence finally lets fly at ‘disgraceful’ Trump
WASHINGTON: Mike Pence said history would hold Donald Trump accountable for his role in the riot by his supporters at the US Capitol, in his most outspoken attack yet on his former partner in the White House.
Mr Pence, who was Mr Trump’s vice-president, said the invasion of congress on January 6, 2021, was a disgrace and attacked efforts led by his former boss to recast it as a benign protest.
Mr Pence, 63, is considering a run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination against Mr Trump but until recently had trodden a careful path, avoiding forceful criticism of him.
Mr Pence made his broadside at the Gridiron dinner, a white-tie gathering of journalists, officials and politicians in Washington.
Mr Trump, 76, has long maintained that Mr Pence let him down while overseeing certification of the 2020 election by refusing to reject results from swing states that backed Joe Biden where Mr Trump falsely claimed fraud.
“President Trump was wrong,” Mr Pence said at the dinner. “I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”
His remarks came as a surprise at an event mainly known for humorous skits and speeches. Mr Pence has been slowly turning up his attack on Mr Trump since his memoir, which accused Mr Trump of endangering his family, was published in November.
Some of the thousands who invaded the US Capitol were calling for Mr Pence to be hanged, forcing him, his wife and his daughter to take refuge in a safe place.
“What happened that day was a disgrace,” he said. “And it mocks decency to portray it any other way. For as long as I live I will never, ever diminish the injuries sustained, the lives lost, or the heroism of law enforcement on that tragic day.”
There were also jokes in Mr Pence’s speech. He said Mr Trump’s ego was so fragile, during their weekly lunches he wanted Mr Pence to sing Wind Beneath my Wings with its line “Did you ever know that you’re my hero?”
He ribbed Mr Trump over classified documents found by investigators at his residence in Florida. “I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the President’s Bible,” Pence said. “Which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there.”
Mr Trump announced his candidacy in November.