Former Vice President Mike Pence is a man who clearly loves his family, God, and cares deeply for this country. In his personal life, he maintains a rare moral code that many have criticized. In reality, that conduct remains close to faultless. But for the past four years, he has unapologetically attached himself to a politician who is his polar opposite. This indicates a serious lapse in judgment.
In every way, former President Donald Trump and Pence are different. Their only commonality is that they are Republicans. When Trump chose Pence to be his running mate in the summer of 2016, it was seen as a very smart move. Candidates tend to select a vice president who will fulfill the areas in which they lack. Barack Obama, Trump, and now Joe Biden all did this, and it strengthened each of their platforms. But from the other end, the vice presidential nominees must align with their boss in order to assure success. This is also tacit approval on their part of the words and actions of the president. In the case of Trump and Pence, this indirect acknowledgment has harmed the latter’s stellar reputation.
Those who voted for Trump knew who he was from the start. None of the behavior during his presidency has been a surprise given the preview the country had during the unprecedented 2016 campaign season. Voting for him because of the threat of the liberal opposition is understandable. However, Pence stood next to him in the worst of times, many of which were self-inflicted wounds from a short-tempered and insulting man. Worst of all, Pence did not make it known if he thought the behavior exhibited by the commander in chief was wrong. It’s no surprise that Pence did not publicly condemn his boss. Loyalty requires that, especially in a president and vice president relationship. The real issue is that Pence was well aware of the high cost before he took on a supporting role and agreed to it anyway.
On Jan. 6, Pence went against Trump’s wishes and did not overturn the Electoral College vote certification from the states in question. Before presiding, Pence issued a statement saying, “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.” In response to Pence’s legal and moral stand, the president later tweeted, “Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution, giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify. USA demands the truth!”
On that day, the country witnessed anger, lawlessness, destruction, and loss of life. In the end, the worst day of Trump’s term included a moment when he openly mocked his chosen ally for doing the right thing. Those in the audience knew it was coming. Surely, Pence did, too.
At many times during his four years, Trump turned his back on those he had once spoken highly of and relied upon. This was a feature of his presidency. Because Pence is unlike Trump in all aspects, he was bound to be in this group at some point. Reportedly, Trump and Pence made up after the events earlier this month. This should not erase from either Pence’s mind or the nation’s consciousness what occurred and how the president discarded his vice president in a time of extreme crisis.
Pence hitched himself to Trump for nothing but political gain. In the end, it was to his own detriment. Time will tell whether his allegiance to what was right will hurt him in the post-Trump GOP.
A good man such as Pence could not improve Trump’s character, no matter his proximity. By associating with the 45th president, Pence’s reputation was damaged in ways that may not be salvageable, at least for the foreseeable future. And he has only himself to blame.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
