According to a new book, Mike Pence’s chief of staff alerted the Secret Service just 24 hours before an angry mob assaulted the US Capitol that President Donald Trump was ready to turn on his vice president over the 2020 election result, and that his security would be jeopardized.
On January 6, 2017, Pence had to be rushed to safety as Trump fans screamed, “Hang Mike Pence.”
The mob’s behavior validated Marc Short, the vice president’s chief of staff’s suspicions.
He had summoned the chief agent in charge of Pence’s safety to his West Wing office the day before.
According to the New York Times, Short told Tim Giebels that he didn’t know what shape the threat might take.
But in her forthcoming book – ‘Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America’ to be published in October – she reveals that Short expected Trump to turn publicly against Pence, creating a possible risk to the vice president.
In the event his fears were well-founded.
Tensions had been building for days when Trump sent a series of tweets demanding that Pence use his power to block Congress from certifying his electoral loss to Joe Biden.
Pence had already informed Trump that he lacked such authority.
In a combative speech the morning before the riot, Trump stated, “We want to be extremely courteous to everybody.”
‘And we’ll have to fight even harder now.’
‘And Mike Pence will have to deliver for us, and if he does not, it will be a terrible day for our country.’ Because you’ve pledged to protect and defend our Constitution.’
His followers marched on the Capitol shortly after.
Outside the building, a makeshift gallows was erected, and demonstrators chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.”
Their statements came to exemplify the schism between constitutional Republicans and those who had pledged full allegiance to Trump.
It has also proven to be a dividing line between a president and a vice president who had previously served together for four years.
The new information also indicates other points of contention that have the Pence camp concerned about the president’s treatment of his vice president.
Short was told by White House top of staff Mark Meadows that the president was withholding financing for Pence to set up an office after he left office.
The comments will be seen as another example of the depth of the split between president and vice president – both possible contenders for the 2024 Republican nomination – over the 2020 election results.
The details were provided by at least one witness, according to two people familiar with the work of the January 6 committee as it prepares a timeline of the president’s day.
The newspaper said it was confirmed by Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Meadows.
This week, fresh details emerged of how Trump’s allies hoped Pence would step aside on Jan. 6 to allow the election results to be rejected.
An attorney working with Donald Trump’s legal team devised a plan for Vice President Mike Pence to recuse himself from presiding over the certification of electoral college votes on January 6 last year so that a senior Senate Republican could refuse to count votes from states won by Joe Biden.
Short contacted the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for help defusing an impending clash in the days leading up to the certification deadline, as tensions were growing. Kushner, on the other hand, claimed he was too preoccupied with Middle East talks.
White House staff were left with the idea that Trump was unconcerned about the outrage directed at Pence on the day itself.
According to leaked testimony to a House committee looking into the events of that day, Trump lamented that his vice president was being escorted to safety.
According to the New York Times, Mark Meadows, the president’s chief of staff, exited the Oval Office dining room and intimated to other officials that the president had stated something to the effect that Pence should be hanged.