Vice President Mike Pence told President Trump on Tuesday that he did not believe he had the power to block congressional certification of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory in the presidential election, The New York Times reports.
Let’s be very clear — Vice President Pence needs to immediately address these reports. And the American people need to light up the congressional switchboard.
“Mr. Pence’s message, delivered during his weekly lunch with the president, came hours after Mr. Trump further turned up the public pressure on the vice president to do his bidding when Congress convenes Wednesday in a joint session to ratify Mr. Biden’s Electoral College win,” the Times reports.
NYT: Pence told Trump at lunch today he doesn’t have the power to change or delay election result but he’ll keep studying it until the Electoral College certification in Congress Wednesday
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 6, 2021
At lunch with Trump today, Pence said he doesn’t believe he has the power to do what the president wants during congressional certification. But he indicated he will keep studying it up until the proceedings begin at 1 pm tomorrow. @anniekarni me https://t.co/L27CVH1QNv
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 6, 2021
“The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors,” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter on Tuesday morning.
ABC’s Jon Karl reported on Tuesday night that Pence is “fully aware” that he doesn’t have the power Trump claims he does.
“While Pence has said nothing publicly,” Karl reported, “I am told by people close to the vice president that he intends to defy the president on this, that he intends to follow the rules. Which means that at the end of the process tomorrow, it will be Vice President Pence who is the one announcing Joe Biden officially, formally, and finally has won the Electoral College and won the presidency.”
