Former Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday said that former President Donald J. Trump and his advisers had tried to get him “essentially to overturn the election” and that the American people needed to know it.

The remarks, made in an interview with Fox News, are some of Mr. Pence’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.’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
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    1971 year ago

    Pence: “Donald Trump tried to destroy our democracy and he tried to get his supporters to kill me. However, I don’t think it’s appropriate to punish him in any way, and of course I’ll vote for him over Joe Biden.”

    • @DrinkBoba
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      151 year ago

      Truly pathetic what this has come to.

  • Flying Squid
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    1391 year ago

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

    • @dragontamer
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      1 year ago

      He did the bare minimum his job required

      Compared to others who didn’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
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        261 year ago

        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, it’s literally the least we deserve as Americans.

        • @[email protected]
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          1 year ago

          Outside of this single act I’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 don’t think we should minimize this.

      • @halferect
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        91 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 shouldn’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 that’s it, he is no hero.

        • @dragontamer
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          1 year ago

          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
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            81 year ago

            Oh, yes, D.C. National Guard troops finally did respond because they are not bound by Posse Comitatus, but they also couldn’t do it without Presidential authority.

            • @dragontamer
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              1 year ago

              Presidential authority

              Trump never approved of this.

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


              I certainly disagree with Mike Pence’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 didn’t request military assistance by 5pm or so.

            • @btaf45
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              21 year ago

              Convicted Sex Offender Treason Trump’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.

          • @feedum_sneedson
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            21 year ago

            I don’t understand this photo, is it a joke about something?

            • @dragontamer
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              That’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.

              • @feedum_sneedson
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                21 year ago

                I wasn’t paying attention as I don’t live in the USA. Just wondered why they were asleep!

      • Not A Bird
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        31 year ago

        That is exactly what Brian Kemp did, campaigned on that and won his re-election for GA Governer.

  • @flossdaily
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    1171 year ago

    Pence: “Trump tried to overturn the election. And when Democrats wanted to investigate it, I refused to testify. Anyway, vote for me!”

  • @btaf45
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    461 year ago

    Reminder that Steve Bannon frankly confessed Trump’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

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

    Let’s listen. [Begin Videotape]

    STEVE BANNON: And what Trump’s going to do is declare victory, right? He’s going to declare victory, but that doesn’t mean he’s a winner. He’s just gonna say he’s a winner. The Democrats — more of our people vote early that count. Theirs vote in mail. And so they’re going to have a natural disadvantage and Trump’s going to take advantage — that’s our strategy.

    He’s gonna declare himself a winner. So when you wake up Wednesday morning, it’s going to be a firestorm. Also — also if Trump is — if Trump is losing by 10 or 11:00 at night, it’s going to be even crazier. Because he’s gonna sit right there and say they stole it. If Biden’s wining, Trump is going to do some crazy shit.

  • SpaceBar
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    301 year ago

    The time to admit what we all now know he was asked to do was on Janury 5th.

    He wants to be President, it’s the only reason he is saying anything. The man is a coward.

  • @Riccosuave
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    281 year ago

    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 didn’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 me…

    • @dhork
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      91 year ago

      If two people with Secret Service protection throw down, can they get their detail to join in? I’d pay to get that streamed live …

      • @Riccosuave
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        1 year ago

        Celebrity Death Match: US Government Edition

  • @BeardyGrumps
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    261 year ago

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

  • Chainweasel
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    261 year ago

    Rats trying to flee the sinking ship, but they don’t realize that the ship has been underwater for a long time and their air pocket is getting smaller. It won’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.

  • Seraph
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    101 year ago

    Today, in news that shocks absolutely no one…

  • theodewere
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    81 year ago

    Mike, if Trump pissed in your pocket, you’d say it was raining, you lapdog puppy boy…

  • @ATDA
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    71 year ago

    “Essentially,” or… Specifically, intentionally, with purpose?

  • @xc2215x
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    71 year ago

    Glad Pence did. All vice presidents are supposed to though.