The Last-Ditch Effort of Former President Trump: Threatening Vice President Pence on January 6, 2021, Over Electoral Certification
The sun had barely risen over Washington D.C., on January 6, 2021, when then-President Donald Trump made a fateful call to his Vice President, Mike Pence. In an attempt to overturn his election loss, Trump pressured Pence to ignore his constitutional duty and alter the outcome of the electoral certification process scheduled later that day.
A White House valet, who had been with Trump during most of that momentous day, overheard a portion of the conversation. He later recounted the details to members of the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection. Although he could only recall Trump’s side of the exchange, the valet described a clear threat from the outgoing president to his own vice president.
Trump reportedly warned Pence that refusing to certify the election results would be “a political career killer.” He urged his vice president to “do what’s right,” implying that Pence could prevent the certification process by throwing out Democratic electors and seating Republican electors instead.
The transcript of the valet’s testimony, which remained undisclosed until recently, was first obtained by the New York Times before the January 6 committee disbanded in early 2023. The valet’s identity remained a secret, but House Republicans made the testimony public on a Friday.
The phone conversation between Trump and Pence marked their final contact before Trump addressed thousands of his most passionate supporters at the Ellipse, where he encouraged them to march towards the US Capitol and “fight like hell” to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election. Pence, as presiding officer during that joint session, would oversee the entire process.
The valet recalled not hearing what Trump meant when he urged Pence to “not do this.” However, it is evident that Trump was making one final plea for Pence to manipulate the electoral vote count in defiance of constitutional law and legal precedent.
Despite repeated warnings from Pence and his advisors, Trump persisted in his efforts to subvert the electoral process. In a letter to lawmakers on January 6, Pence stated that such an action would be “entirely antithetical” to the Constitution and that no vice president in American history had ever tried to assert such power.
Trump’s threat ultimately came true. Despite declaring his candidacy for the 2024 GOP nomination in June, Pence failed to win over the Trump-supporting Republican base. He suspended his campaign in October and announced last week that he would not endorse Trump for the 2024 presidency.