Here's what Mike Pence said about the 'peaceful transfer of power' on Jan. 6 anniversary
Former Vice President Mike Pence praised the peaceful transfer of power in Washington, D.C., on Monday following the certification of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory, exactly four years after Pence presided over a joint session of Congress on the day of the insurrection attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Pence, who served as vice president under Trump, fell out of favor with Trump and his supporters when he refused to block the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, which President Joe Biden won. Pence has said he did not have the authority to block the certification.
In a post on X Monday afternoon, Pence congratulated Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance and wrote that he appreciated the peaceful nature of the joint session of Congress.
“The peaceful transfer of power is the hallmark of our democracy and today, members of both parties in the House and Senate along with the vice president certified the election of our new president and vice president without controversy or objection,” Pence wrote in the post. “I welcome the return of the order and civility to these historic proceedings and offer my most sincere congratulations to President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance on their election to lead this great Nation.”
Pence also commended Vice President Kamala Harris for presiding over the session after losing the 2024 election to Trump, which Pence did in 2021 after Biden’s victory.
After leaving Washington, D.C., Pence launched and ended his own campaign for president in 2023. He had been critical of his former running mate's campaign to return to the White House, but has publicly congratulated Trump and Vance on their victory since November.
Pence served as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2016. He now lives in Carmel.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter/X@CarloniBrittany.