Former Vice President Mike Pence, who said his life was threatened during the violent U.S. Capitol attack three years ago, is refuting the unsubstantiated claims of former President Donald Trump and encouraging Republicans to choose another candidate in 2024.
Pence, once fiercely loyal to his old boss, dismantled Trump’s recent description in Iowa that Jan. 6, 2021, was “peaceful” and the work of “patriots.” Trump also describes more than 1,000 people, who were convicted in connection with crimes on Jan. 6, as political “hostages.” And the former president has made unsubstantiated claims that the Jan. 6 attack was the work of the FBI.
“The truth is that this was a riot that should never have happened,” Pence said Sunday morning during an interview on CNN’s State of the Union.
He also emphasized what he has said before − Trump’s words were reckless on Jan. 6 and Pence did his duty in certifying the will of voters who elected President Joe Biden in 2020. Pence, who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, said he saw people breaking windows, ransacking the Capitol.
“It just infuriated me,” Pence said. “I remember thinking, you know, ‘Not this, not here, not at the United States Capitol.'”
He thanked the FBI for bringing criminals to justice and countered Trump’s false claims. “I’ve heard the many repeated assurances from the FBI that they were not involved and I take them at their word,” Pence said.
Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence speaks during the Seacoast Media Group and USA TODAY Network 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Town Hall Forum held in the historic Exeter Town Hall in Exeter, New Hampshire. The former Vice President of the United States and former Governor of Indiana spoke to prospective New Hampshire voters about issues during the hour-long forum.
Though Pence said voters are more likely to make decisions in 2024 based on the last year, and not three years ago, he hopes Republican voters get behind a different candidate than Trump.
Pence said the upcoming Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary are a chance for “good Republican voters” to “give our party a fresh start and give us new leadership to lead our party forward in the election and beyond.”
He stopped short of endorsing one of Trump’s challengers, saying he thinks “very highly” of Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis − and he said Chris Christie has been a friend for many years.
Pence bowed out of the race in late October, a contest in which he challenged Trump because he believes “different times call for different leadership.”
“We need new leadership in the Republican Party. We certainly need new leaders in the White House to move us forward,” he said.
If at some point his endorsement could have an impact on achieving that, “I’ll certainly do it.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Pence refutes Trump on Jan. 6, urges GOP to pick different candidate