Former Vice President Mike Pence said that then-President Donald Trump’s words were “reckless’ on Jan. 6, 2021, endangering the vice president and his family, in an interview with ABC on Sunday.
Key quote: “The president’s words were reckless and his actions were reckless,” Pence told ABC’s David Muir. “The president’s words that day at the rally (before the riot) endangered me and my family and everyone at the Capitol building.”
Details: As the vice president, Pence had the ceremonial role of overseeing the certification of the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election, which Trump urged him to delay or overturn, Pence claimed, per The New York Times.
- During the rally, Trump tweeted: “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done,” according to ABC.
- To that, Pence responded: “I turned to my daughter, who was standing nearby, and I said, ‘It doesn’t take courage to break the law. It takes courage to uphold the law.’”
- “The president’s words were reckless. It was clear he decided to be part of the problem,” Pence added.
Worth noting: The Hill reported that this interview is part of a series of media appearances from Pence prior to the release of his new memoir on Tuesday titled “So Help Me God.”
- The former vice president’s memoir is set to be released the same day as Trump has scheduled a “special announcement,” which is expected to be an announcement for his 2024 run for the presidency, per The Hill.