In their last call before the January 6 insurrection, President Donald Trump derided former Vice President Mike Pence as a “wimp” for his refusal to block the certification of the 2020 election results, according to an excerpt from Jonathan Karl’s new book, ”Retribution.”
The excerpt, which was published by ABC News on Sunday, cites notes that Pence took of the call, which occurred around 11 am Eastern on January 6, hours prior to Trump’s supporters storming the Capitol and threatening violence against the Vice President. It adds to a previous account of the call that Pence had also shared in his memoir, ”So Help Me God,” which was published in 2022.
“You’ll go down as a wimp,” Trump reportedly said to Pence regarding his position on the certification. “If you do that, I made a big mistake 5 years ago,” Trump added.
Pence ultimately declined to reject Electoral College votes in his ceremonial role of overseeing Congress’s election certification, and sent lawmakers a letter making his position clear.
While speaking on the Ellipse that day, Trump singled Pence out and called on him to do what he described as “the right thing.” When the vice president declined to acquiesce, Trump later attacked him in a tweet, stating that he “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution.”
