Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said that former President Donald J. Trump and his advisers had tried to get him ā€œessentially to overturn the electionā€ and that the American people needed to know it.

The remarks, made in an interview with Fox News, are some of Mr. Penceā€™s most pointed to date about what he experienced in the weeks leading up to Jan. 6, 2021, when he presided over the congressional certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.ā€™s victory.

The indictment portrayed an attack on American democracy. Smith framed his case against Trump as one that cuts to a key function of democracy: the peaceful transfer of power. By underscoring this theme, Smith cast his effort as an effort not just to hold Trump accountable but also to defend the very core of democracy.

  • flossdaily@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Pence: ā€œDonald Trump tried to destroy our democracy and he tried to get his supporters to kill me. However, I donā€™t think itā€™s appropriate to punish him in any way, and of course Iā€™ll vote for him over Joe Biden.ā€

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fuck Mike Pence. He did the bare minimum his job required and expects us to all applaud him for it.

    • dragontamer@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      He did the bare minimum his job required

      Compared to others who didnā€™t even do their job, or even went against their job functions (how many military generals sat still, refusing to deploy troops to Wash. DC in response to Jan. 6th?), Mike Pence is a hero.

      Bare minimum hero, but yes, he did the right thing on that day and that should be celebrated.

      • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
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        Celebrating powerful people (who are trying to get more power and will leverage your celebrations towards that end) for doing the bare minimum is a big part of why this country keeps getting worse.

        The bare minimum is nothing to celebrate, itā€™s literally the least we deserve as Americans.

        • BurriedCondor@lemmy.ml
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          Outside of this single act Iā€™m no fan of Pence, but the man was under serious pressure and to acquiesce would have been the easy decision. Knowing that his life might be on the line, he did the right thing. I donā€™t think we should minimize this.

      • halferect@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The DC national guard is subordinate to the president, secretary of defense, and secretary of the army, all appointed by trump, and my understanding is even if the secretary of defense or secretary of the army wanted to deploy the national guard they still need trump to ok it.No generals could deploy troops on January 6th, unless you are talking about wanting a general to start a military coup.also he shouldnā€™t be celebrated unless you think just doing your job is a thing to celebrate. Are we saying taco bell workers should be called heros because they made a taco? Pence did his job and thatā€™s it, he is no hero.

        • dragontamer@lemmy.world
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          Bullshit. The generals moved at 5pm+, many hours after Capitol police were overwhelmed

          And then the troops came in. Late, but they did in fact come in. The troops then slept at the Capitol building for the next few days, the Press took pictures, etc. etc.


          IIRC, it was Mike Pence who finally took a stand and told the Generals that Pence had the authority to ask for help, and that the Generals can get off their ass and send in the troops. Everyone was waiting for the President to give the order, troops at lower levels were literally sitting prepared waiting for orders by 2pm when it became obvious that the riot was getting out of hand.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            Oh, yes, D.C. National Guard troops finally did respond because they are not bound by Posse Comitatus, but they also couldnā€™t do it without Presidential authority.

            • dragontamer@lemmy.world
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              Presidential authority

              Trump never approved of this.

              IIRC, the rumor is that Mike Pence called in the military.


              I certainly disagree with Mike Penceā€™s politics. But we gotta give Mike Pence credit for taking action (albeit hours late, and when his own life was on the line due to the rioters). Its the bare minimum to get things done, but Jan 6th would be even worse than it was if Mike Pence didnā€™t request military assistance by 5pm or so.

            • btaf45@lemmy.world
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              Convicted Sex Offender Treason Trumpā€™s Secretary of the Army put out an order on Jan 5 that no troops could be redeployed without his order, then he made him unavailable on Jan 6.

            • dragontamer@lemmy.world
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              Thatā€™s DC National Guard sleeping in the Capital Building after being deployed on January 6th.

              If you were paying attention to the news on that day, you should recognize the pics. Literally the military defending the Capitol Building by sleeping / garrisoning there.

              So we all know the military got the authority to defend the Capitol Building. We literally have pictures of the troops there.

  • flossdaily@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Pence: ā€œTrump tried to overturn the election. And when Democrats wanted to investigate it, I refused to testify. Anyway, vote for me!ā€

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    Reminder that Steve Bannon frankly confessed Trumpā€™s Start the Steal conspiracy plans to a group of Trump insiders before the election.

    https://www.npr.org/2022/07/22/1112138665/jan-6-committee-hearing-transcript

    ā€¦audio from Trump advisor, Steve Bannon, surfaced from October 31st, 2020, just a few days before the Presidential election.

    Letā€™s listen. [Begin Videotape]

    STEVE BANNON: And what Trumpā€™s going to do is declare victory, right? Heā€™s going to declare victory, but that doesnā€™t mean heā€™s a winner. Heā€™s just gonna say heā€™s a winner. The Democrats ā€” more of our people vote early that count. Theirs vote in mail. And so theyā€™re going to have a natural disadvantage and Trumpā€™s going to take advantage ā€” thatā€™s our strategy.

    Heā€™s gonna declare himself a winner. So when you wake up Wednesday morning, itā€™s going to be a firestorm. Also ā€” also if Trump is ā€” if Trump is losing by 10 or 11:00 at night, itā€™s going to be even crazier. Because heā€™s gonna sit right there and say they stole it. If Bidenā€™s wining, Trump is going to do some crazy shit.

  • SpaceBar@lemmy.world
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    The time to admit what we all now know he was asked to do was on Janury 5th.

    He wants to be President, itā€™s the only reason he is saying anything. The man is a coward.

  • Riccosuave@lemmy.world
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    Imagine bending the knee for over two years to someone who attempted to not only overthrow the government, but who almost got you lynched in the process. The fact that Mike Pence didnā€™t promptly go back to the Whitehouse, and beat the brakes off of Donald Trump right in the Oval Office will never cease to amaze meā€¦

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      If two people with Secret Service protection throw down, can they get their detail to join in? Iā€™d pay to get that streamed live ā€¦

  • BeardyGrumps@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Fuck Pence, fuck Trump and fuck republicans. They are all cunts. (As are tories in the UK). Nuff said.

  • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Rats trying to flee the sinking ship, but they donā€™t realize that the ship has been underwater for a long time and their air pocket is getting smaller. It wonā€™t be long now before they start to eat each other. Pence, you putrid piece of shit, they thew you a line and you snubbed it and you deserve to go down with the rest of the rats.

  • ATDA@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    ā€œEssentially,ā€ orā€¦ Specifically, intentionally, with purpose?

  • starrox@sh.itjust.works
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    Its a close race for the title of ā€œmost spineless POSā€ between Pence and Graham. Who will take the trophy? Are you all excited?

    • Snapz@lemmy.world
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      Weird to think about what else the two of them may have in common. Would be interesting to get penceā€™s wife (ā€œmotherā€) and Lindsayā€™s sister (who he said would be his first lady if he was ever president because heā€™s 68 and has never married) in a room together to draw any parallelsā€¦

      We do know that they both STRONGLY oppose LGBTQIA+ rights, we know that part, nobody needs to even think about that part. They both vote and act against that so strongly that some might be mistaken to think it was performative (if they werenā€™t both so clearly and DEFINITELY straight).