The news was less what former Vice President Mike Pence said versus how the crowd of Republican activists in New Hampshire reacted.
Pence defended his decision to defy former President Donald Trump and certify President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, explaining Thursday he did what was required under the Constitution. Trump disagrees and claims Pence lacked the “courage” to overturn the election results, and the former vice president conceded the two running mates might never “see eye to eye on” the events of Jan. 6. Nobody booed.
Party activists who showed up in Manchester to see Pence keynote the annual Hillsborough County GOP Lincoln-Reagan dinner gave the former vice president a standing ovation send-off upon the conclusion of his speech. Some Republican insiders have speculated Pence’s 2024 aspirations would not survive a break with Trump over the 2020 election. Other party operatives believe the episode is boosting his White House plans.
“I think in the end, it’s probably a net-plus for him,” said Republican strategist Barry Bennett, who previously advised Trump. “It’s a differentiator for sure.”
If Pence is going to mount a viable presidential bid, he was going to have to find a politically effective way to declare his independence from Trump without turning his back on the Trump agenda. This fracas with the former president checks that off of Pence’s 2024 to-do list, albeit accidentally.
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Trump and Pence enjoyed a close relationship during the 45th president’s term. They became fast friends after Trump selected Pence as his running mate in 2016, talking often by phone when one or both was traveling and meeting in person often in the West Wing. Pence was loyal, to a fault, his critics and even some admiring Republicans say, and would only express differences of opinion in private.
Their differences over the election could not be reconciled or kept private. Under the Constitution, Pence, in his role as president of the Senate, had to preside over the ascertainment of Biden’s win during a joint session of Congress. Pence had his legal team research the issue, and they concluded what he suspected. There is no constitutional back door allowing the vice president to unilaterally reject certified electoral votes or otherwise alter the election results.
Pence is not interested in relitigating the matter. But Trump has continued to raise the issue in interviews and discussions with confidants and supporters. And the former president still insists his vice president acted cowardly in refusing to do what he wanted on Jan. 6. In light of that, Pence’s strategy for dealing with the subject is to confront it — acknowledge their differences and explain his approach that day.
At the same time, Pence makes sure to couple those comments with defense and promotion of Trump’s agenda and all that his administration accomplished in four years. Indeed, that topic occupied most of what the former vice president discussed during his speech in New Hampshire on Thursday.
“Jan. 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled. The Capitol was secured. And that same day, we reconvened the Congress and did our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States. President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office — and I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on that day,” Pence said.
But he immediately added: “I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years. And I will not allow Democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of Americans. … We must move forward united.”
Several prominent Republicans are considering a 2024 presidential bid — including Trump.
Most are attempting to curry favor with the former president and are competing with each other to prove they are the most authentic heir to Trump and his “America First” agenda. Trump’s unproven claims that the November election was stolen has made “election integrity” a priority with the Republican base and prompted some GOP-controlled states to pass election reform legislation. Pence raised the issue of “election integrity” during his speech.
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But some Republican operatives warn the topic has a shelf-life with voters. That could backfire on Trump.
“At some point, the Republican base will hit a tipping point when its frustration over the 2020 election will be eclipsed by fear of the Biden administration,” a GOP strategist said. “The trick for President Trump is whether he senses that frustration coming in time.”
