Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday said he’s spoken “many times” with former President Donald Trump since they left office and that they don’t “see eye to eye” on the events of Jan. 6. But he said Republicans “must move forward united” and focus on opposing President Biden’s agenda.
Pence called the Capitol riot a “dark day,” but said that it was being used as a smokescreen to facilitate Biden’s agenda.
“As I said that day, Jan. 6 was a dark day in the history of the United States Capitol. But thanks to the swift action of the Capitol Police and federal law enforcement, violence was quelled, the Capitol was secured and that same day we reconvened the Congress and did our duty under the Constitution and the laws of the United States,” Pence said in a speech to the Hillsborough County Republicans in Manchester, NH.
“You know, President Trump and I have spoken many times since we left office, and I don’t know if we’ll ever see eye to eye on that day. But I will always be proud of what we accomplished for the American people over the last four years,” Pence said.
“I will not allow Democrats or their allies in the media to use one tragic day to discredit the aspirations of millions of Americans — or allow Democrats and their allies in the media to distract our attention from a new administration intent on dividing our country to advance their radical agenda.”
He added: “My fellow Republicans, for our country, for our future, for our children and our grandchildren, we must move forward united.”
Pence, 61, had a pacemaker implanted in April. Trump reportedly learned about the operation from the news.
Pence presided over certification of Biden’s victory in the Electoral College on Jan. 6 and rejected Trump’s call to overturn the results. Capitol rioters erected a gallows and chanted “hang Mike Pence!” as intruders marched through the Senate chamber demanding to know his whereabouts shortly after Pence was evacuated.
During his New Hampshire speech, Pence called on Republicans to oppose Biden’s pending infrastructure package. He called the $2.3 trillion plan, which remains the subject of talks with Senate Republicans, “a thinly disguised climate change bill.”
Pence also slammed what he called the “left-wing myth of systemic racism.”
“Black lives are not endangered by police, black lives are saved by police every day,” Pence said.