READ IT AND VEEP
Done Don lashes out at poor Pence: report
Et tu, Mike?
President Trump is reportedly questioning the loyalty of even Vice President Mike Pence as the commander-in-chief pushes ever more extreme measures in a hopeless bid to overturn his election loss.
After another round of White House scheming with right-wing allies, Trump is focused on the vice president’s largely ceremonial role of presiding over a Jan. 6 session of Congress to seal the results of the vote, Axios reported Tuesday, citing White House aides.
“Trump (views) Pence performing his constitutional duty — and validating the election result — as the ultimate betrayal,” Axios reported.
The increasingly paranoid president mentioned a Dec. 8 television ad from the #NeverTrump Lincoln Project that predicted Pence would eventually dump Trump and seal President-elect Joe Biden’s win.
The ad, which Axios reported has rattled Trump, warned “the end is coming” and Pence is “running away from you Donald. And on January 6th, @VP will preside over the vote proving @joebiden beat you.”
Trump is also fed up with White House counsel Pat Cipollone and chief of staff Mark Meadows, who he views as less than 100% committed to his dead-end fight to overturn the election, according to reports.
Pence showed no signs of feeling the heat as he jetted into Florida Tuesday to address a convention of 2,000 pro-Trump students.
The veep hailed Trump and urged the mostly maskless #MAGA crowd to keep battling to overturn the election results. But he pointedly avoided mentioning the Jan. 6 votes in Congress.
“I’ll make you a promise. We’re going to keep fighting until every legal vote is counted,” said Pence, prompting chants of “Stop the steal.” “We’ll never stop fighting to make America great again. You watch.”
While the rest of the country is focused on the coronavirus pandemic and economic downturn, Trump, Pence and other top aides were meeting Monday with a group of far right-wing Republican lawmakers to strategize on ways to discredit the election results.
Among the top options would be getting Republicans in the House and Senate to object to the results of the Electoral College sealing Biden’s win.
Some Trump acolytes are also promoting an unconstitutional effort to seize voting machines in swing states that Biden won, or declaring martial law and ordering new votes in those states.
Outgoing Attorney General Bill Barr has already said he would oppose any extreme measures but he will be replaced on Wednesday. Incoming acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen will immediately face pressure from Trump to be more pliant.
Trump showed the GOP lawmakers a PowerPoint presentation that trashed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a turncoat for congratulating Biden on his victory, the news site said.
One slide suggested anyone who bucks Trump’s demands would face the wrath of his devoted supporters.
“Mitch ... was the first one (to jump) ship!” the slide read, detailing McConnell’s rise in polls after Trump backed his reelection.