Mike Pence has been getting praise from a small, but not insignificant, number of Republicans and conservatives for pushing back against one of the many offshoots of Donald Trump’s 2020 election "big lie." Specifically, he crushed the idea that he could have and should have “overturned the election” by rejecting the legitimate electoral slates of swing states.
Pence followed another notable personality in arguably hurting his own cause by speaking up on principle: former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. The connection between a Black sports figure condemning racism in football and a White politician defending himself against a lie told by his own party may not be immediately obvious. Yet both men's courage of conviction could ultimately help fulfill their greater vision — if they're able to hold the line.
In a Feb. 4 appearance before a Federalist Society conference in Florida, Pence said unequivocally, “President Trump is wrong. … Under the Constitution, I had no right to change the outcome of the election.” He added, pointedly, that such an action would be “un-American” — a bold statement given the viselike hold Trump still has on the party.
