Trump attacks Pence for not having the 'courage' to overturn the election as the president's supporters storm the Capitol

https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-attacks-pence-for-not-having-courage-to-overturn-election-2021-1

John Haltiwanger

Jan. 6, 2021

President Donald Trump attacked Vice President Mike Pence in a tweet on Wednesday as his supporters engaged in violence in Washington, DC, and stormed the US Capitol.

Trump decried Pence for refusing to attempt to overturn the election, which is not something the vice president has unilateral authority to do. The president and his allies have been urging Pence to reject the 2020 results in Congress. As vice president, Pence presides over the final step in certifying the outcome of the election. But Pence's role in the certification of the Electoral College vote, per the Constitution, is largely meant to be ceremonial.

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Earlier in the day, Pence issued a statement that signaled he would not adhere to Trump's impossible demands.

"It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not," Pence said.

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