Global Courant
Former Vice President Mike Pence said there was “no pressure” to reverse Donald Trump’s presidential election results when he called Arizona Governor Doug Ducey in 2020 at the urging of the then president.
“I reached out to not only Governor Ducey, but other governors and states going through the legal process to review their election results, but there was no pressure involved,” Pence, who is now running for president, told Trump , said during one interview with “Face the Nation” on CBS that aired Sunday.
Pence’s comments came in response to a report by The Washington Post on Saturday, which said Trump was “trying to pressure” Ducey to reverse the results of the state’s presidential election in late 2020 in a phone call, the paper said. Pence also repeatedly called Ducey on behalf of the president, but “did not follow Trump’s directions to pressure the governor.”
Ducey did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
Speaking on CBS Sunday, Pence said he was only “calling for an update” at the time, relaying information to Trump confirming the election results.
“Look, these states were going through a process after so much uncertainty about the election results in places like Arizona, in places like Georgia. States across the country were going through the legal process to participate in a review under state law,” he said. “I got updates on that, passed that on, and it was no more and no less than that.”
“I don’t remember any pressure,” he added.
Trump had soured Ducey, a Republican who was a close ally of his during the 2020 election, when Arizona’s governor signed the state’s election certification of Biden’s victory. Trump tweeted at the time that Ducey had “betrayed” the people of Arizona by not supporting the president’s false claim that he had actually won the state, but in reality he lost by more than 10,000 votes.
In video footage of Ducey ratifying the state’s November 2020 election results, the governor mutes a phone call that rang to the tune of “Hail to the Chief” — a ringtone he said he used specifically for incoming calls from the White House.
In the days leading up to the joint session of Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, to certify the election results, Trump pressured Pence to overturn Biden’s victory while presiding over the ceremonial certification of the results. Pence refused Trump’s demand and became a target of some of the rioters who stormed the Capitol that day chanting “Hang Mike Pence.”
Pence has increased his criticism of his former boss since launching his presidential bid in early June, accusing Trump of abandoning conservatism and his constitutional duties.
