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As vice president, Pence has the uncomfortable but unavoidable task of presiding over the session of Congress that will formalize Biden’s Electoral College victory, which will likely expose him to the ire of Republican voters who believe Trump’s allegations of voter fraud.
But Pence was able to evade dissatisfaction by immediately leaving for a visit to the Middle East and Europe.
The vice president of the United States is aiming for a trip abroad that will last almost a week from January 6, according to reports from three officials familiar with the matter who spoke with journalists from Politico.
Although Pence’s aides refused to confirm the details of the trip, which is not yet certain, a document from the US executive consulted by Politico shows that Pence would travel to Bahrain, Israel and Poland, with other possible stops.
A team of US officials has already left this week to prepare for the planned locations for the visit, which will be Pence’s first trip abroad since January, when the US vice president traveled to Rome and Jerusalem on a tour. for two days.
On the surface, the trip is part of the Trump administration’s efforts to mediate diplomatic agreements to normalize relations between Israel and Muslim countries, hence the stopover in Bahrain.
But for Pence, visiting these countries is also a way to strengthen his already strong support among the Christian right that strongly supports Israel.
And the trip will allow the vice president of the United States to distance himself from Trump and his unproven allegations of voter fraud, which will likely escalate after Congress confirms Biden’s victory.
It’s a tactic Pence used to navigate the final days of Trump’s presidency: staying out of the spotlight and isolating himself from his boss’s crusade for electoral fraud.
“I suspect the date is anything but a coincidence,” said an ally of Pence’s travel plans.
A senior US official said the visit had not yet been confirmed, but that early January was the first available window after holidays and other obligations Pence had.
He took time out of his daily duties to make two visits to Georgia to attend rallies in support of the two Republican Senate candidates who will be elected after special elections early next year.
During his most recent visit, Pence appeared to offer a brief and rare acknowledgment of the electoral fraud scheme that Trump says cost him a second term.
Referring to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Pence said Trump “deserves to have his day in court … and all I can say is: God bless Texas!”
Meanwhile, the lawsuit was dismissed by the US Supreme Court, joining more than 40 other lawsuits that the Trump campaign lost or dropped after Election Day.
Although Pence’s allies say there is no reason to believe that he will not fulfill his duty to preside over the session of Congress that will confirm Biden’s victory, a White House official compared his task to handing over an obituary.
“By no means will this be an easy time for the vice president,” he said.
