Violence on January 6 was Mike Pence's fault, Trump claims trends now
Donald Trump and his former Vice President Mike Pence got into a blame game over January 6, with the ex-president saying it was actually his second-in-command who caused the chaos of that day.
'Had he sent the votes back to the legislatures, they wouldn't have had a problem with Jan. 6, so in many ways you can blame him for Jan. 6,' the former president said, referencing Pence's refusing his calls not to certify the electoral college results in Congress.
'Had he sent them back to Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, the states, I believe, number one, you would have had a different outcome. But I also believe you wouldn't have had "Jan. 6" as we call it,' he told reporters in Davenport, Iowa.
Over the weekend Pence had placed blame squarely on Trump for the Capitol riot in remarks at Washington, D.C.'s Gridiron dinner.
'Had he sent the votes back to the legislatures, they wouldn't have had a problem with Jan. 6, so in many ways you can blame him for Jan. 6,' the former president said
'President Trump was wrong,' Pence said. 'I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.'
'History will hold Donald Trump accountable for Jan. 6,' Pence told the crowd of his former boss.
Pence is believed to be shaping up to jump into the race for the presidency in 2024 and Trump is pushing full steam ahead with a third run for the high office, campaigning in Iowa Monday night.
Trump mused that Pence's attack on him was prompted by his single digit showings in polls of a hypothetical matchup of GOP presidential contenders.
Pence also criticized those who have downplayed January 6 in an apparent jab at Fox News's Tucker Carlson, who has obtained archive security footage from Speaker Kevin McCarthy and aired nonviolent moments inside the Capitol during his show.
'Make no mistake about it, what happened that day was a disgrace,' Pence said. 'And it mocks decency to portray it any other way.'
He also offered praise to the media for reporting on January 6.
'We were able to stay at our post, in part, because you stayed at your post,' he told reporters who covered the insurrection. 'The American people know what happened that day because you never stopped reporting.'
After schmoozing with Washington insiders and the media over the weekend, Pence will campaign in New Hampshire on Thursday and Iowa on
