WASHINGTON (AP) – Angry President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged Wednesday that he does not have the power to cast election votes that will make Democrat Joe Biden the next president, destroying Trump’s unfounded hopes that Pence of some way you can find a way to keep them in charge.
Pence, under intense pressure from Trump and his allies to nullify election results, issued a lengthy statement setting out his conclusion that a vice president cannot claim “unilateral authority” to reject state electoral votes.
“My judgment is that my oath to support and defend the Constitution obliges me to demand unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not,” Pence wrote in a letter to members of Congress earlier. to be discussed in the whole session of the Congress.
At a remarkable time, highlighting the dramatic split between Trump and his most loyal lieutenant, Pence released the statement just after arriving at the Capitol to count the election votes and, although the president told thousands of supporters gathered nearby of the White House that Pence could nullify these results.
“If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election,” Trump told supporters, who then marched on Washington and stormed the Capitol.
Trump tweeted his disapproval of Pence after returning to the White House.
“Mike Pence did not have the courage to do what should be done to protect our country and our Constitution, giving states the opportunity to certify a set of corrected facts, not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones that are asked them to certify in advance, “He wrote. “The US demands the truth!”
After losing a court case after a court case and with no more options available, Trump and his allies had spent days in a futile bid to convince Pence – and his legion of supporters – that the vice president had the power. of rejecting voters from battlefield states. who voted for Biden.
It doesn’t. The Constitution makes it clear that the role of the vice-president in the joint session is mostly ceremonial, similar to a master of ceremonies.
Although Pence’s allies had made it clear that he intended to challenge Trump, the vice president’s public statement was nonetheless a significant exit for Pence, who has spent the past four years defending the president and carefully avoiding his anger. .
Infuriating Trump runs the risk of compromising Pence’s carefully mapped political future. Pence is looking at a run for the White House in 2024 and had bet on his years of loyalty to Trump to help him stand out in what is expected to be a crowded field. Even out of office, Trump is expected to continue to be the de facto leader of the Republican party and the political government for years to come.
Trump spent much of Wednesday furiously consumed by Pence’s action, even as violent protesters loosened at the U.S. Capitol, forcing lawmakers to hide and halt proceedings. Although the violence unfolded, most of Trump’s attention was devoted to Pence, according to a White House official who only spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal issues.
Pence was driven outside the Senate chamber to a safe place as protesters burst into the building. And it was the vice president, not Trump, who spoke with the acting secretary of defense to discuss the mobilization of the DC National Guard on Wednesday afternoon.
Pence made it clear in his three-page letter that he would follow the Constitution, not the commander in chief, regardless of political repercussions. He acknowledged that a vice president has no unilateral power under the Constitution and congressional rules governing the Electoral College count. The rules make it clear that it is up to members of the House and Senate to object and evaluate their merits.
Thus, while Trump’s rally continued in the cold, Pence opened the proceedings and began opening each state’s election vote certificates and presenting them to the “cashiers” appointed by the House and Senate in alphabetical order. The process was soon halted when protesters stormed the Capitol, overwhelmed police and forced the evacuation of the vice president and members of Congress.
“The violence and destruction that is taking place at the U.S. Capitol must stop and must stop now,” Pence later posted. “Anyone involved must respect police officers and leave the building immediately.”
When the count is over, Pence will have the task of announcing the contest winners and formalizing his own defeat.
Despite claims by Trump and his allies, there was no widespread election fraud. This has been confirmed by several election officials and by William Barr, who resigned as Attorney General last month. Neither Trump nor any of the lawmakers who promised to oppose the count have presented credible evidence that will change the outcome.