Mike Pence's delicate role as master of ceremonies
Vice President defies Trump pressure to reject Biden's confirmation
As master of ceremonies for the solemn session of Congress that this Wednesday must ratify Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, the outgoing Vice President Mike Pence, three years and 11 months of loyal service to Donald Trump, could be crowned as a hero or as a villain If, at the time of opening the certificates sent by each of the 50 states of the country with the votes of their large constituents, they decided to resist, as they have done, the pressure from their boss to stop confirmation, limiting themselves to transmitting, as orders the Constitution, the decision of the 306 large voters who gave the victory to the Democrat, compared to the 232 favorable to Trump. Or, on the contrary, join the group of Republican legislators who seek to sabotage Biden's confirmation in the latest Trump attack on the will of the polls, after a string of judicial setbacks to his attempt to turn the result around. It was not clear until the last minute which option he would choose but, confirming the forecasts of collaborators and experts, Pence chose to comply with the Constitution.
"Four years ago, surrounded by my family, I took an oath to defend the Constitution that ended with these words: 'May God help me.' Today I want to assure the American people that I will keep the oath that I took before them and before Almighty God. When the joint session of Congress convenes today, I will fulfill my duty to open the certificates, listen to the objections of senators and representatives, and count the votes of the Electoral College in accordance with our Constitution, laws, and history. May God help me ”, Pence, a fervent Christian, announced in a statement shortly before the opening of the session.
However, while declaring himself deprived of the authority to accept or reject votes, he welcomed the attempt by some legislators to raise objections to "electoral irregularities", in line with Trump's message about the alleged theft of the elections, which was dismissed. by a cascade of judicial decisions, and as one who puts a candle to God and another to the devil. "When disputes arise in an electoral process, it is the representatives of the people, according to federal law, who evaluate the evidence and resolve differences through a democratic process," Pence declared before presiding over the session.
It will not have been an easy drink for Pence, who by law was obliged to comply with the formal procedure, without apostilles or rebellions, because Trump's veiled blackmail weighed on him like a slab. “I hope Mike [Pence] does the right thing. I hope so, because if Mike Pence does the right thing, we will win the elections, "the president exclaimed this Wednesday during a rally in Washington. "Vice President Pence has the power to reject large electors elected fraudulently," he continued. In a statement, Trump tried to clarify the delicate role that Pence should play this Wednesday: “The vice president and I fully agree that he has the power to act. The vice president has several options according to the US Constitution. He can certify the results or return them to the States for modification. " Nuances that actually sound like extra pressure for a procedure that usually does not go beyond being a formality, but that on this occasion had, as in the rest of the hard-fought electoral process, characteristics close to the anomaly.
Before those who expected a posthumous example of loyalty to Trump, his closest collaborators, including his chief of staff, have indicated this week that, despite pressure from the Republican president, the number two would stick to his ceremonial function and would not block confirmation of Biden at the solemn joint session of the two Houses. Furthermore, Pence reminded Trump on Tuesday that he does not have the power to reverse the confirmation of the new president, even trying to show the greatest possible support for the demands of his boss. The squaring of the circle for a low-profile politician, subject to Trump like a shadow during the four years in office, and whose political future depends on the level of satisfaction that he manages to gain among the voter base of his boss.
"[Pence] is going to show all his support for Trump, but abiding by the Constitution," said a former White House official who maintains regular contact with the vice president's cabinet, quoted by Reuters. That is to say, his loyalty will not decline one millimeter, or only the necessary to declare himself constrained by the function that the Constitution reserves for vice presidents. “It is a ceremonial role. It consists of opening the envelopes and reading their content, nothing more ”, added the source.
While Trump dropped some of his advisers that he would like Pence to beat the copper more for him, the vice president has continued to profile himself until the last moment. On Monday, during a visit to Georgia, Pence stated that Republican objections to Biden's victory must be heeded, but he did not say how or if he was going to step up to achieve it. “I share the concern of millions of Americans about electoral irregularities. And I promise you that this Wednesday we will hear the objections in Congress. We are going to know the evidence, ”said Pence, without the plural, majestic or modest, unmasking his final decision, that of a faithful state official.
