By ZEKE MILLER and CHRIS MEGERIAN (Associated Press)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday harshly criticized former President Donald Trump for his function within the Jan. 6 riot on the U.S. Capitol, widening the rift between the 2 males as they put together to battle over the Republican nomination in subsequent 12 months’s election.
“President Trump was wrong,” Pence stated throughout remarks on the annual white-tie Gridiron Dinner attended by politicians and journalists. “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.”
Pence’s remarks have been the sharpest condemnation but from the once-loyal lieutenant who has typically shied away from confronting his former boss. Trump has already declared his candidacy. Pence has not, however he’s been laying the groundwork to run.
In the times main as much as Jan. 6, 2021, Trump pressured Pence to overturn President Joe Biden’s election victory as he presided over the ceremonial certification of the outcomes. Pence refused, and when rioters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wished to “hang Mike Pence.”
The House committee that investigated the assault stated in its last report that “the President of the United States had riled up a mob that hunted his own Vice President.”
With his remarks, Pence solidified his place in a broader debate inside the Republican Party over learn how to view the assault. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, for instance, just lately offered Tucker Carlson with an archive of safety digicam footage from Jan. 6, which the Fox News host has used to downplay the day’s occasions and promote conspiracy theories.
“Make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace,” Pence stated in his Gridiron Dinner remarks. “And it mocks decency to portray it any other way.”
Trump, in the meantime, has continued to unfold lies about his election loss. He’s even spoken in assist of the rioters and stated he would contemplate pardoning them if he was reelected.
Speeches on the Gridiron Dinner are normally humorous affairs, the place politicians poke enjoyable at one another, and Pence did loads of that as properly.
He joked that Trump’s ego was so fragile, he wished his vice chairman to sing “Wind Beneath My Wings” — one of many strains is “did you ever know that you’re my hero?” — throughout their weekly lunches.
He took one other shot at Trump over categorized paperwork.
“I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the president’s Bible,” Pence stated. “Which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there.”
Even earlier than the dinner was over, Pence was going through criticism for his jokes about Transportation Secretary Buttigieg, the primary overtly homosexual Cabinet member in U.S. historical past.
Pence talked about that, regardless of journey issues that have been plaguing Americans, Buttigieg took “maternity leave” after he and his husband adopted new child twins.
“Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets post-partum depression,” Pence stated. ___
Megerian reported from Wilmington, Delaware.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”
