INTENSE PENCE DEFENSE: Former VP blasts Trump over Jan 6th in WSJ op-ed
How do you solve a problem like Mike Pence?
On the one hand, the former Vice President did all of the right things on January 6th, by both his own account and by those who testified to the House Select Committee. He’s also since spoken truthfully about his role in the Electoral College certification process and has said publicly that Donald Trump was wrong to tell his base that Pence could change the election results in their favor.
On the other hand, he’s still Mike Pence.
Pence has penned an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal that details his interactions with Trump between losing the November 2020 election and the January 6th insurrection.
It seems like Pence tried to tell Trump “no” in all of the ways — and Trump refused to hear any of them and then let it slip to the media that Pence was going to help him overturn the votes.
Yes, Dear Reader, Trump lied to people. Shocker!
Pence writes about the pressure campaign Trump put on him pre Jan. 6https://t.co/GHOmY0NcDU pic.twitter.com/ZGIdV3TYp7
— Sam Stein (@samstein) November 9, 2022
Nothing like some bullying to go along with sedition and treason, huh Mikey? I just can’t muster anything like sympathy here though.
Mike Pence is not a hero.
Mike Pence tried to do everything possible to prevent Joe Biden's lawful election.
Mike Pence called former VP Dan Quayle to ask HOW to do what Trump wanted. Quayle told him all he could was follow the law.
And that's what he did.
Not a hero.
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) November 9, 2022
With one side of his mouth, Pence portrays himself as the victim of Trump’s ability to manipulate the press:
“Right before going to bed, I saw that the Trump campaign had issued a statement,” Pence writes. “The New York Times reported that I had told the president I didn’t believe I had the power to block congressional certification of the election. That was true, but the statement called it “fake news.” I had a feeling that Jan. 6, 2021, was going to be a very long day.”
Pretty normal day, just Mike Pence blaming @ProjectLincoln for causing January 6th. https://t.co/HZkDwPUnGQ pic.twitter.com/TegvlELDVI
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) November 9, 2022
The former VP also relives the moment his Secret Service detail wanted to adios him from the Capitol.
He knew something was up and he refused to leave.
“You’re not hearing me, I’m not leaving! I’m not giving those people the sight of a 16-car motorcade speeding away from the Capitol.”
— Mike Pence's account of his words to the Secret Service on Jan 6, via his memoir excerpt in @WSJopinion https://t.co/6x2bJz4tlt
— Bill Grueskin (@BGrueskin) November 9, 2022
Mike Pence has a new book to sell and perhaps a 2024 Presidential campaign to fund, so now he’s trying to position himself as the savior Trump wanted him to be, but just for himself.
Pence is gonna Pence until the last, Dear Reader.
And that alone disqualifies him for any future as a Republican presidential candidate.
Wow. Pence literally just yadda yadda yadda-ed the part of Trump's January 6 video where he again claims the election was stolen, then tells the protesters he loves them and they're special.
Compare Pence on the left and Trump's actual statement on the right. pic.twitter.com/LrdxRt9gyt
— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) November 9, 2022
Tara Dublin is a woefully underappreciated and unrepresented writer currently shopping a super cool novel that has nothing to do with politics while also fighting fascism on the daily.
Follow her on Twitter @taradublinrocks.
Editor’s note: This is an opinion column that solely reflects the opinions of the author.
Tara is a reported opinion columnist at Occupy Democrats. She's a woefully underappreciated and unrepresented writer currently shopping for a super cool novel that has nothing to do with politics while also fighting fascism on a daily. Follow her on Twitter @taradublinrocks