Donald Trump: Former Vice President Mike Pence is to blame for Capitol attack

Former US President Donald Trump claimed that his former ally, former Vice President Mike Pence, was to blame for the riots on January 6, 2021. Thousands of supporters of the outgoing president of the United States stormed the Capitol in protest against the results of the presidential election.

Since January 2021, Trump has been accusing Pence of not rejecting the result of the presidential election, which, as the former president unsubstantially claims, was rigged. “If he did, you wouldn’t have January 6+ as we call it,” he told reporters accompanying him to Iowa.

Earlier, Mike Pence, who like Trump may seek the Republican nomination, criticized his former boss. “President Trump was wrong,” he said. “I had no right to challenge the election, and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone in the Capitol that day. I know that history will judge Donald Trump properly.”

The attack by Trump supporters on the Capitol took place on January 6, 2021, when the result of the presidential election was to be formally announced. The riots disrupted a joint session of Congress to formally approve the victory of Joe Biden, who defeated Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.

Trump then delivered a speech in front of the White House, moments before Congress began approving votes from the Electoral College. In it, he encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol and repeated his unsubstantiated claims that massive election fraud was taking place. This thesis has not been recognized as true either by the courts or by representatives of the Trump administration.

As the riots began, Trump tweeted that Vice President Pence “didn’t have the guts” to overturn the election results. There were shouts of “hang Pence!” among the demonstrators. However, the vice president managed to escape from the Capitol with the help of security.

Over a thousand rioters have been arrested, hundreds have been charged, many have been convicted, some are still wanted. The House of Representatives committee investigating these events recommended that the federal prosecutor’s office bring criminal charges against the former president, including inciting a coup. A lawsuit against Trump by people injured during the attack is also possible.

Mike Pence, when asked by CBS whether he will support Trump in the fight for the Republican nomination, said: “I believe we will have a better choice” (PAP)

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