Former president Donald Trump and Mike Pence have seen better days in their relationship.
The former vice president told “Fox News” host Jesse Waters Thursday that he and his former boss most recently spoke “last summer” and have since gone their separate ways.
“January 6 was difficult, it was a tragic day in the life of the nation,” Pence said of that date’s attack on the Capitol last year. “I know I did my duty under the Constitution of the United States.”
Pence was referring to the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when Trump supporters hoping to stop the certification of the 2020 election clashed with law enforcement officers. Gallows were erected on Capitol Hill by Trump loyalists who chanted “Hang Mike Pence” after Trump complained his second-in-command would not help him overturn President Joe Biden’s electoral win.
“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our county and our constitution,” Trump tweeted shortly before being banned from Twitter, which he used to falsely claim that the election wasn’t legitimate.
The vice president was taken to a safe location until law enforcement officials, with help from the National Guard, were able to regain control of Capitol Hill. Pence then returned to the Senate floor and famously said “Let’s get back to work,” and certified Biden’s victory.
“The president and I sat down on the days that followed that, we spoke about it, talked through it, we parted amicably,” Pence said.
There’s been speculation that Trump and Pence will both seek the Republican party’s nomination in the 2024 election. A YouGov poll conducted in November showed that 44% of voters would support Trump in a GOP primary while only 4% would cast a ballot for Pence.
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