Archive for the ‘Mike Pence’ Category

Pence was a target of insurrection. He’s still not a hero – Los Angeles Times

Was Mike Pence a hero in the siege of the Capitol that has been replayed during Donald Trumps impeachment trial?

Certainly Pence was a potential victim, as House managers demonstrated by playing dramatic security video of the vice president being hustled away to a safe place. But the managers also emphasized that Pence had refused Trumps call for him to act illegally and overturn election results favoring Joe Biden.

Vice President Pence showed us what it means to be an American, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) said on Wednesday. What it means to show courage. He put his country, his oath, his values and his morals above the will of one man.

Praise by Democrats for Pence inspired the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal to remark on the strange new respect on the left for Pence. The Journal dredged up a 2019 tweet in which Lieu told Pence: I will pray for you & hope that your hate of LGBTQ employees and students will one day dissipate.

The Journal suggested that it was hypocritical for Democrats to praise Pence for doing his duty after criticizing him on issues such as gay and transgender rights.

As soon as the second impeachment trial wraps, he will go back to being another dark figure in a political Handmaids Tale told to inspire fear and loathing among Democratic voters, the editorial said. But for everyone else, Mr. Pences defense of the rule of law and the Electoral College should stand as a refutation of that caricature.

A few points:

The Democrats are right to portray Pence as a potential victim on Jan. 6. The insurrectionists chants of Hang Mike Pence! were chilling. But the fact that Pence did his duty doesnt make him a hero.

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Pence was a target of insurrection. He's still not a hero - Los Angeles Times

Trump’s actions during the Capitol riot put Pence in danger and national security at risk – MSNBC

One of the key questions asked in former President Donald Trumps impeachment trial is whether he knew that his vice president was in mortal peril on Jan. 6. There are only two possible answers: Either he knew and didnt care or he was deliberately and cruelly incurious knowing that he could have easily asked about former Vice President Mike Pence and did not because Pences safety did not matter to him as much as the ambient excitement of the insurrection apparently did.

Trump clearly knew enough to be culpable of knowing. And if he did not, it only proves the House managers point that he was negligent in his duty as commander in chief that day.

One of Trumps lawyers, Michael T. van der Veen, told the Senate on Friday that the former president did not know about the danger Pence was in, which itself is so ludicrous a statement as to demand its own investigation. Trump clearly knew enough to be culpable of knowing. And if he did not, it only proves the House managers point that he was negligent in his duty as commander in chief that day.

Around 2:13 p.m. ET on Jan. 6, Pences Secret Service detail decided to remove him from the Senate floor and take him to a shelter-in-place location below-ground. That security camera footage shown by House managers is, in retrospect, some of the most chilling captured that day. Shortly after Pence makes his way down the stairwell, his military aide, carrying a large briefcase, follows. The briefcase is the nuclear "football" an exact copy of the one the presidents military aide was guarding at the White House that day.

That Pence had a military aide and a briefcase was a surprise to many who arent familiar with the command and control of strategic nuclear forces. Suddenly the import of what happened acquired a new salience: Did Trumps inaction place not only his vice president, but the security of the nuclear deterrent in jeopardy?

Short answer: Yes. About 10 minutes after Pence was evacuated, Trump tweeted in rage, Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.

It was, in fact, Trump whose actions had just compromised national security. Given the chaos of the moment, though, it is not inconceivable that Pence might have been separated from the military aide during the evacuation. It is horrifying to speculate about this scenario because it is reasonable to envision exactly that might have happened.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters this week that he "would not get into discussion about specific command and control over nuclear strategic forces." But I will.

Of everything in the briefcase, the decision book is the most valuable to adversaries.

The worst-case scenario we can set aside: No one can use contents of the briefcase to launch anything. There is no button. There is no way to transmit an emergency war order without involving the Pentagon and a number of other command centers having authenticated the users identity and their status as the surviving commander in chief.

So what might have happened if the football was taken by the protesters? Well, they would have had to figure out how to get into it. It does not open easily. So after a while of fiddling, whether at the Capitol or somewhere else, lets assume an unauthorized user managed to pry it open. They would have found a satellite phone, a copy of the latest nuclear decision handbook and a few other classified documents and objects.

Of everything in the briefcase, the decision book is the most valuable to adversaries. It includes a Cheesecake-Factory-like picture menu of nuclear options that would allow an authorized user to order up massive or targeted strikes at a multitude of targets, along with annotations to show the effects of the chosen strikes, damage assessments, expected retaliation basically, all of our most sensitive war plans and their assumptions, laid out neatly for an average person to digest as quickly as possible.

Right before Trump sent the tweet castigating his vice president, he had spoken with Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who said he told the president that Pence had been taken from the chamber. And we know Trump was watching television where Pence's emergency evacuation would have been hard to miss.

But if Trump had any question about Pences whereabouts, he could have asked a member of his own Secret Service detail. So closely are presidents and their vice presidents joined to the nuclear football that whenever they take an elevator, advance agents ensure the military aide and a doctor are in the same chamber as the protectee. Pences detail, along with its counterassault team, would have immediately broadcast their emergency action to the services Joint Operations Center, which would have just as quickly notified the presidents agents.

And the military aide would have notified the presidents Emergency Operations Center over a different frequency. Any unusual or unplanned movement of a presidential successor would be reported to the presidents chief of staff or the national security adviser as soon as possible.

In short, theres no way Trump could have been ignorant to the danger that Pence was in, no matter what his lawyers told the Senate. Nor should he have been unaware of the broader security risks.

The U.S. nuclear command, control and communication architecture is as robust or as fragile as the physical security around those who must engage with it, among many other factors. On Jan. 6, Trumps state of mind nearly let it all collapse.

Marc Ambinder is a senior fellow at the USC Annenberg Center for Communication Leadership and Policy. A former White House correspondent and political reporter, he is the author of several books about national security, including The Brink: President Reagan and the Nuclear War Scare of 1983. He is a consultant for Spycraft Entertainment and lives in Los Angeles.

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Trump's actions during the Capitol riot put Pence in danger and national security at risk - MSNBC

Trump most likely knew Pence’s life was in danger when he tweeted an attack on his VP during the Capitol riot – Business Insider

Donald Trump likely knew of the danger facing Mike Pence when he attacked his vice president on Twitter during the Capitol riot, according to evidence that emerged during the former president's impeachment trial this week.

GOP Sen. Tommy Tuberville told reporters on Wednesday that Trump had called him on January 6, and that he had told the president Pence had just been ushered out. Tuberville didn't specify the time of the call, but footage from the day showed Pence was taken from the Senate floor at 2:14 p.m.

"He didn't get a chance to say a whole lot because I said, 'Mr. President, they just took the vice president out. I've got to go,'" Tuberville said.

His remarks indicated that Trump was more aware of the danger posed to Pence than was previously known.

At Trump's impeachment trial on Wednesday, Democrats also showed video footage of Pence being escorted out of the Senate floor at 2:14 p.m. after rioters breached the Capitol.

Footage of Pence being taken to safety was also shown on live TV at the time, which Trump was watching, a source familiar with Trump's actions on the day told The Washington Post.

Another source told the publication that the White House was routinely briefed on Pence's movements by the Secret Service, and would likely have been aware of the danger he faced.

Yet at 2:24 p.m., Trump tweeted:"Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution."

In footage played by impeachment managers Thursday, one rioter was shown reading Trump's tweet aloud and others were shown chanting "hang Mike Pence" as they searched the Capitol for the vice president.

A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read more: Democrats are quietly cutting ties with megadonor Martin Elling, a fallen McKinsey & Company star embroiled in an opioid drug consulting scandal

The former president had been piling pressure on the vice president to refuse to certify Joe Biden's election victory, the usually routine congressional procedure that rioters abruptly halted when they attacked the Capitol.

Trump is accused by Democrats of doing little to quell the violence that erupted after his speech to supporters, and seeking instead to whip up their anger further.

Trump's attorneys are slated to present their defense of the former president on Friday.

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Trump most likely knew Pence's life was in danger when he tweeted an attack on his VP during the Capitol riot - Business Insider

Ivanka played peacemaker in Trump and Pence’s ‘uncomfortable’ first meeting after Capitol riots, report says – Business Insider

Ivanka Trump reportedly urged her father, former President Donald Trump, to make peace with former Vice President Mike Pence after the deadly Capitol riots, sources familiar with the matter told the Washington Post.

A growing rift had emerged between the two leaders after Trump had publicly denounced Pence and encouraged a mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol and stop the vice president from verifying the election results.

Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who had been appointed a senior White House adviser by her father, sought to reconcile the two men and acted as go-between, encouraging her father to reach out to Pence, two people familiar with the planning said.

Five days after the January 6 insurrection, it was reported that Trump had met with the vice president in the Oval Office for the first time to address what had happened.

At the time, reports described the 90-minute-long meeting as "friendly" and stated that Pence wanted to focus on what he and Trump saw as the administration's wins.

But according to several people familiar with the encounter, the conversation was actually a lot more "stilted" and "uncomfortable," the Post reported.

Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who reportedly also helped arrange the meeting, later even jokingly compared it to his efforts at brokering peace in the Middle East, a person familiar with his comments told the Post.

Read more: How Trump's Senate trial could end with a vote to ban him from ever holding federal office again and kill any chances of a 2024 run

The report comes after this week's Senate impeachment trial, presented new evidence that showed Trump was more aware of the danger posed to Pence during the Capitol riots than was previously known.

It was also revealed that Trump never called Pence to make sure he was okay after the attack. Mark Short, Pence's chief of staff, who called Trump's chief of staff, Mark Meadows, let them know they were okay.

During the trial on Wednesday, Democrats also showed Pence's video footage getting rushed to safety after rioters breached the Capitol building. In the video, a military aide, seen following Pence, is carrying a "nuclear football."

The relationship between Trump and Pence is unlikely ever entirely to heal, a source close to Pence told the Post. The two have only spoken once since President Joe Biden was inaugurated, the source added.

While the former vice president is said to be "frustrated" with what Trump did, he plans to remain loyal and not speak publicly about their relationship. According to this source, Pence also does not share the same anger that many former aides have toward Trump.

Pence plans on staying out of the spotlight for a few months, likely respecting the unofficial practice of giving a new administration some time and space.

Trump is currently facing an impeachment trial in the Senate for a charge of "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack.

Both the impeachment and defense teams have already completed their arguments, and Senators could vote as early as Saturday.

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Ivanka played peacemaker in Trump and Pence's 'uncomfortable' first meeting after Capitol riots, report says - Business Insider

Though the Heavens Fall: Mike Pence and the Rule of Law – The Flash Today

Let justice be done, though the heavens fall is a common saying in English jurisprudence meaning that the rule of law must be adhered to at all costs. The second attempt to convict impeached former president Trump has ended in his acquittal, but the post-mortems of the events of 1/6 have only just begun. Any analysis of 1/6 should include a close examination of the role played by former Vice President Mike Pence. His conduct that day reflected the greatest devotion possible to the rule of law.

Of course, anyone will believe in the rule of law when doing so suits him. But Pence showed his devotion even at great personal cost to himself. Adherence to the law required him to preside over the counting of electoral votes which would certify not only Trumps defeat for a second term, but his own as well. Moreover, he did so even as rioters were demanding that he be put to death, and a gallows was being erected outside the Capitol.

Now it might be argued that Pence really had no choice. The law required him to open the sealed electoral votes submitted by the states, preside over their tabulation before Congress, and announce the final results of the count. He had no authority to reject ballots lawfully submitted, accept ballots submitted from any source other than the electors duly chosen by the states, or say or do anything else to alter the final outcome of the vote count. His legally assigned role was strictly ministerial and ceremonial; he had no discretion. So whats the big deal?

Well, Pence could have tried to take the actions demanded by Trump and his supporters in Congress and in the mob anyway. Doing so would have been illegal and ineffective in changing the outcome of the electoral vote. But he would still have been proclaimed a great hero among Trumps supporters in the Republican base and made himself the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, should Trump choose not to seek it.

But as it is, Pence, for the time being, must settle for the accolades of, of all people, Democrats. To be certain, Democratic praise has been lavish. One of the Democratic representatives serving as an impeachment manager (prosecutor) said, Vice President Mike Pence showed us what it means to be an American, what it means to show courage. He put his country, his oath, his values and his morals above the will of one man. Another House manager said, Even though the count resulted in the defeat of his party and his own candidacy, Vice President Pence had the courage to stand against the president, tell the American public the truth and uphold our Constitution.

How sincere this praise may be is open to question. Remember, these are Democrats offering it, and Democrats only praise Republicans who say and do things that favor Democrats. Democrats relentlessly charged Barack Obamas two Republican opponents for the presidency, John McCain and Mitt Romney, with their all-purpose smear, racism, until McCain and Romney emerged as opponents of Trump. Should Pence actually win the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, no doubt the Democrats will revert to their usual anti-Pence litany of accusations: Hes a homophobic bigot, a religious zealot, a sexual weirdohe refuses to be alone with any woman other than his wifeand a bauble-headed toady constantly nodding in agreement with everything his Master said.

Yet the Democrats praise of Pence, however insincere it may be, is not necessarily unjustified. He truly does seem to have put devotion to the law above his personal political ambitions and even his personal health and safety as well. Its too bad Republicans have not yet acknowledged this and that his presidential ambitions may suffer at the hands of those who think he should have danced at the end of the rope on the Capitol Hill gallows.

Should further investigation of 1/6 confirm the truth of the Democrats description of Mike Pence, then he surely will have earned the praise of all who believe in the rule of law, though the heavens fall. Whether hell actually win that praise from sources sincerely believing in his merit and virtue is a different matter.

Malcolm L. Cross has lived in Stephenville and taught politics and government at Tarleton since 1987. His political and civic activities include service on the Stephenville City Council (2000-2014) and on the Erath County Republican Executive Committee (1990 to the present). He was Mayor Pro Tem of Stephenville from 2008 to 2014. He is a member of St. Lukes Episcopal Church and the Stephenville Rotary Club, and does volunteer work for the Boy Scouts of America.Views expressed in this column are his and do not reflect those of The Flash as a whole.

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Though the Heavens Fall: Mike Pence and the Rule of Law - The Flash Today