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Donald Trump and Mike Pence were different as fire and water, but their “political marriage” went well until Trump lost the election.
Now, in the final days of the Trump administration, each side feels betrayed by the other. A series of events happened in just 24 hours: Pence publicly denounced Trump, Trump expressed his anger at the vice president, and crowds of Trump supporters stormed the United States parliamentary court, trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power. .
The Trump-Pence relationship “is pretty bad right now,” said an anonymous Republican official. He described many of the phone calls in which Trump mocked Pence and tried to pressure the vice president to use the power he did not have to reverse the election results. Meanwhile, Pence felt “hurt” and “upset,” according to sources close to him.
President Trump (left) and Vice President Mike Pence at the White House in March 2020. Image: Reuters.
Trump and Pence are very different. Pence has a calm demeanor toward a traditional conservative politician, in contrast to Trump, the impulsive former reality TV star.
However, Pence has shown devotion to Trump. He praised and defended the president’s policy. One image that has become familiar is that of Pence standing next to Trump smiling as the president speaks. He has also tried to calm world leaders concerned about Trump’s words and acted skillfully to avoid the presidential ire of his subordinates.
Pence has taken on some of the government’s highest-pressure projects, including leading the response to Covid-19. He also expressed support for Trump’s allegations of voter fraud, despite not being deeply involved in efforts to challenge the result. In a conference by the young conservative Turning Point USA in late December, Pence said that Trump’s team “will continue to fight until all legitimate votes are counted and all illegal votes are removed.”
“I think the problem with Pence is that for the last four years he has been a very loyal Trump supporter,” said Republican adviser Alex Conant. “He’s probably the Republican elected official most loyal to Trump.”
In the last days of his tenure, that relationship “broke down.” The meeting of the National Assembly on January 6 to certify the results was just a formality. But after losing again and again and with no other choice, Trump and his allies saw this as the last chance to challenge the outcome. They argued that the vice president had the right to unilaterally reject Biden’s pro-election votes, while the constitution made clear that only parliament had that right.
This attempt to make Pence a “scapegoat” could be to blame for Trump’s failure if the vice president refuses to implement the plan, reporter. AP Jill Colvin commented.
When Pence, who had consulted with his legal group, constitutional scholars and senators, informed Trump on the morning of January 6 that he would not be involved in the “overthrow” attempt, the president was “very angry,” according to an informed source. about the conversation.
Not long after, Trump took the stage in front of thousands of supporters at a rally outside the White House, urging them to march on Capitol Hill and continue to raise the false hope that Pence could change the outcome. “If Mike Pence does the right thing, we will be elected,” Trump said.
When Trump spoke, Pence published a letter to Congress concluding that the vice president could not unilaterally override the electoral votes of the states. A source said Pence understood how the president and his loyal supporters would receive his decision, but had to do so “to protect the institution and the constitution.”
Soon after, crowds supporting Trump invaded Capitol Hill, disrupting the congressional results confirmation meeting. Pence was taken to a safe and secure location for hours with the staff, wife and daughter. Some in the riotous crowd yelled, “Hang Mike Pence!”
Trump did not call to verify if Pence was safe. Instead, he spent most of January 6 expressing anger at the officer’s actions. “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what he should do to protect the country and the constitution.”
For Pence’s allies, that’s very disappointing after Pence’s four-year loyalty to Trump. “I think he felt this was enough,” said John Thompson, a former Pence campaign spokesman.
Pence was disappointed that Trump didn’t do much to stop the violence, an anonymous source said. The vice president was “shocked that the president did not come out to do the right thing,” the person said.
It’s unclear how the relationship between Trump and Pence will evolve over the next two weeks. The White House declined to comment on Trump’s thoughts, allies said Pence intends to spend the next two weeks focusing on the transition of power. He’s also scheduled to attend the Biden unveiling.
Pence was considered a brilliant candidate to represent the Republican Party in the 2024 elections, thanks to his close relationship with Trump. Allies said they do not believe the vice president’s actions this week will have a lasting impact, even as some voters blamed him for Trump’s defeat.
“I think it was a very brave moment for him,” Thompson said. And that will help their future ”.
Phuong vu (According to the AP / WSJ)
