Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized Donald Trump’s role in the January 6 attack and recent attempts to rewrite what happened that day during a speech Saturday night.
“President Trump was wrong,” Pence said at the Gridiron Club’s annual dinner in Washington, D.C. “He had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words put my family and everyone on Capitol Hill in danger that day, and I know that history will stand.” Responsible Donald Trump.”
Pence has rebuked the former president for his actions related to the events of the previous January 6. But the renewed criticism of him comes as he is considering a potential 2024 presidential run.
It also comes just days after he asked a judge to block a federal grand jury subpoena for his testimony in special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the insurrection and other possible Trump wrongdoing.
Pence argues that the subpoena asking for his testimony is “unconstitutional and unprecedented” and that because he was the president of the Senate, he is shielded from trial around January 6 under the Speech or Debate Clause of the Constitution.
During his speech, Pence also criticized Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who made headlines last week after putting together a segment that characterized the deadly riots on Capitol Hill as “mostly peaceful chaos” and falsely claimed that the attack it was nothing more than a peaceful “tourist” tour. the capitol building.
“Tourists don’t injure 140 police officers while sightseeing,” Pence said. “Tourists don’t break down doors to get to the president of the Chamber or make threats against public officials.”
“The American people have a right to know what happened at the Capitol on January 6,” he added. “But make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace, and it mocks decency to portray it otherwise.”
