Loyal to the end? Mike Pence has to choose
Mike Pence stood loyally at Trump's side for four years, suffering scandals and impeachment proceedings. He is said to have been appalled by the storm on the Capitol. Now, at the request of the Democrats, he is supposed to declare Trump incapable of office. Will he?
Storming the Capitol was a memorable, even shocking day for Mike Pence. The angry demonstrators are said to have shouted “Where's Mike Pence?” Again and again as they stormed the Senate. The Vice President had to be taken to safety, held for almost an hour in security rooms that had never been used before.
The Republican was “shocked and angry” about the events, said a politician close to Pence, Republican Senator James “Jim” Inhofe (Oklahoma), to his home newspaper “Tulsa World”. "I've always known Mike Pence," said Inhofe according to the "Daily Mail" and: "I've never seen Pence as angry as I am today."
He had had a long conversation with the vice-president, and he had signaled to him that he was personally very disappointed with the president. "He said: (That) after all the things I did for him (Trump)‘ ", Inhofe continues.
Indeed, Trump is indebted to his loyal vice-president. For four years, Pence stood quietly through scandal after scandal at the side of the US President, including investigations into alleged entanglements in Russia and an impeachment trial.
There seems to have been no thank you for this, on the contrary: in the run-up to the meeting, at which the election winner Joseph “Joe” Biden was to be confirmed, Trump publicly put pressure on Pence: He should not recognize the election result.
The role of the Vice President is purely ceremonial, without any constitutional power. Worse still: Trump later followed verbally on Twitter: "Mike Pence did not have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our country and our constitution," he wrote. Pence is said to have been very upset about that too.
Not even a phone call from Trump?
The fact that Trump apparently did not find it necessary to inquire personally about Pence ‘well-being after the storm on the Capitol - this is what the" Business Insider "claims - is hardly surprising. The situation in which the Vice President finds himself is all the more delicate: will he remain loyal despite everything, or does he dare to break with Trump?
Not even a phone call from Trump?
The fact that Trump apparently did not find it necessary to inquire personally about Pence ‘well-being after the storm on the Capitol - this is what the" Business Insider "claims - is hardly surprising. The situation in which the Vice President finds himself is all the more delicate: will he remain loyal despite everything, or does he dare to break with Trump?
For example, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and the Democratic Chairman of the Senate, Chuck Schumer, Pence and Trump's cabinet called on Trump to be removed from office for "inciting an uprising" - just under two weeks before he would resign anyway would.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had also discussed the 25th amendment to the constitution as a way to remove Trump, the broadcaster CNBC reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Not more chaos, so his consideration
Various US media (including the “New York Times” and “Business Insider, but also“ Fox News ”) meanwhile want to know that Pence is skeptical of this move.
As the "New York Times" reports, Pence fears that such a move would only fuel the "chaos" in Washington. In addition, there is another, quite tactical, considerations: Pence is said to have ambitions to run for president in 2024. A final break with Trump's sympathizers in the party, but also with his electorate, may seem too risky to him.
In the meantime, the position has already been officially indicated. Pence, who would have to personally initiate the process of impeachment (and then find a clear majority for it, also in his own party), rejects the removal of Trump on the basis of the 25th amendment to the constitution, his office said. It is still unclear whether the advances by Trump's opponents have been eliminated. Nancy Pelosi, in turn, sent word that she had not yet received a definitive response from the Republicans.
