Trump Used Two Words To Sum Up His Icy Feelings On Mike Pence On January 6
It's no surprise that Donald Trump is no longer a fan of his former Vice President Mike Pence. Yet, just how lowly the former President thinks of Pence still manages to come as a shock. The legal brief that was filed by special counsel Jack Smith in the case regarding Trump's alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election is officially public. The brief reveals Trump's response when he heard how the infamous January 6 attacks might affect Pence, and Trump's short reply is making waves.
According to the filing, not only was Trump behind the attack on the Capitol, but he and those assisting him were planning it long before the election even took place. Trump allegedly urged Pence to rebuff the results of the election to no avail. Trump was reportedly told that the January 6 attack could put Pence in danger, and his reply was as chilling as it was succinct. Per CBS News, according to the filing, Trump simply asked, "So what?" The filing states "When the defendant lost the 2020 presidential election, he resorted to crimes to try to stay in office."
Pence's attempt to encourage a peaceful transition of power has been met with threats of violence
When the January 6 attack on the Capitol took place, Mike Pence and others who were in the building were evacuated. Rioters were reportedly chanting "hang Mike Pence." Of course, Pence's refusal to support the attempt to overturn the election is what inspired the rioters' vitriol toward him. From the filing, however, it seems that Pence tried his best to help facilitate a peaceful transition of power, encouraging Donald Trump to accept the election results (via CBS News). Pence reportedly urged the former President to acknowledge that the "process is over."
Trump's callous attitude toward Pence and his safety during the attack on the Capitol is certainly eye-opening. Yet, it is not the first time that the second-time presidential hopeful has indicated an eerie acceptance of his supporters' desire to see Pence endure violence. Trump supporter Micki Larson-Olson, who was convicted in 2022 for participating in the January 6 attacks, told NBC News that she "would like a front seat of Mike Pence being executed." When Larson-Olson met Trump on a campaign stop in 2023, he called her a "terrific woman" and told her to "just hang in there." While there is plenty to glean from Jack Smith's filing, there is reportedly even more in an appendix that has not been made public. This could also be revealed in the weeks to come.