Global Courant
Former Vice President and current presidential candidate Mike Pence defended his actions on Wednesday during the certification of the results of the 2020 presidential election when a supporter of former President Donald Trump pressed whether he had the constitutional authority to reject a state’s electoral votes.
In a video first shared by the liberal network MSNBC, a woman who attended a Pence campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa, blamed Joe Biden’s presidency for Pence’s refusal to comply with Trump’s wishes and to reject the certification of some electoral votes during the joint session. of the convention held on January 6, 2021.
“Without your vote, we wouldn’t have Joe Biden in the White House. Joe Biden shouldn’t be there, and all those great things you and Trump did together would continue, and this country would be on the right track,” the woman said.
NO VACATION FOR DESANTIS, PENCE, SCOTT AND OTHER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON JULY 4
Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks to guests during a campaign stop he made with his wife Karen on July 6, 2023 in Holstein, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“Do you ever guess? That was a constitutional right that you had to send those votes back to the states,” she added.
Pence responded decisively, saying the issue was one that was still “misunderstood”, and argued that the Constitution did not give him, or any previous vice president, the power to withhold votes and return them to the states.
“I’m sorry ma’am, but that’s pretty much what the Constitution says. No vice president in American history has ever claimed the authority you believed I had. But I want to tell you, with all due respect, I said before — I said when I announced it that President Trump was wrong about my authority that day, and he’s still wrong,” Pence said.
PENCE CALLS ON BIDEN TO STOP AND STOP NUCLEAR NEGOTIATIONS WITH IRAN
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Independence Day Spectacular on Friday, June 30, 2023 in Pickens, SC (Sam Wolfe for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Trump’s legal team filed a number of challenges against the 2020 election results, but they were all rejected. Congress finally confirmed the results in the early hours of Jan. 7 after supporters of the former president stormed the Capitol building, disrupting proceedings and forcing Pence to be evacuated.
The rift between Pence and Trump, caused by the former’s rejection of arguments that he could hold back the certification, has resurfaced during the 2024 campaign trail as both seek the Republican presidential nomination. Ahead of his campaign launch, Pence spoke out about the historic day, calling Trump “wrong” and stating that “history” will “hold him to account.”
Trump supporters occupy the western front of the Capitol and the inauguration will take place on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
According to a recent Fox News poll, Trump maintains a solid lead at 56%, well ahead of Pence’s 4%.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter at @brandon_cg.
