Trump spent most of the weekend in isolation as aides distanced themselves from him or limited their time in his presence. Trump canceled a planned trip to Camp David, where his closest aides hoped he would get a good mindset before his last term. Instead, he fired at his deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, over the weekend and entered his last full week angrier than ever before.
Pence finally got a glimpse of POTUS ‘vengeance,’ said one source familiar with the situation, with the acronym President of the United States.
Trump’s treatment of a man who has served him faithfully for more than four years has angered those in Pence’s orbit – but also many in Trump’s, who regard Pence as the most loyal lieutenant whose treatment they consider unfair. And while Pence is unlikely to call for the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, he did not apply it publicly so that the idea could continue to exist, which people close to him describe as deliberate.
Pence, who is often mocked internally for how respectful he is towards Trump, has taken a quiet but defiant stance in their last days in office. One source close to the vice president said Pence hopes to spend his remaining days in office telegraphing to our allies and opponents that we have a fully functioning government.
Broken tire
The mob incident, and Trump’s anger against Pence in the run-up to it, left their relationship in tatters. As of Monday afternoon, the pair had not yet spoken before Trump’s demonstration last week at the Ellipse. Their last conversation was suppressed by a vulgarity that the president expressed after Pence told him one last time that he could not unilaterally reject the result of the election, something he had said to Trump in previous meetings, which often dragged for hours.
On several occasions, Trump has sent a random variety of attorneys, such as Jenna Ellis, to the vice president to explain, according to him, that he could disrupt the results.
The last conversation left Trump irritated, and his anger erupted during the protest itself when he told the crowd that he hoped “Mike has the courage to do what he has to do” and “the stupid people he listens to” “ignore.
It was the first time in their more than four years as political partners that Trump’s revenge had been waged on a man mostly known for his credibility. Just like others who were once close to Trump – from his personal attorney Michael Cohen to his first attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to any kind of former assistant – similar fates, Pence was spared.
The turn of events shook Pence and made him exclaim in anger at a fellow Republican: “After all the things I did for (Trump)!”
Pence also recently learned that pro-Trump lawyer Sidney Powell was involved in the lawsuit filed by Trump’s Republican allies against him. Trump was not only aware of it, but encouraged the effort, people close to the situation said.
Even when the president returned to the White House as his crowd left for the Capitol, Trump’s anger over Pence did not subside. And when the crowd broke down doors, brought the building under control, and in some cases apparently hunted Pence himself, Trump remained focused on the alleged disloyalty.
The threats against Pence are not limited to the particular actions of the rioters on Wednesday. According to a White House official, Pence’s staff have in recent days sent two threatening emails from an external transmitter to an internal distribution list, as well as to the uprising in the Capitol. Pence himself is not on the distribution list.
Pence’s office declined to comment on the threatening email sent to the staff distribution list. Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said on Saturday that the White House “condemns all calls for violence, including those against any member of this government.”
After Wednesday’s events, Pence allies were surprised that the president did not call to ensure the vice president’s safety, or the safety of his wife and daughter, who accompanied him as he fulfilled the ceremonial role of overseeing the election college. Pence’s brother, Rep. Greg Pence, a Republican in Indiana, was also inside. Instead, the president tried to call Republican allies to persuade them to proceed with their futile rejection of the election results.
“Was he at all worried that an angry crowd he ordered to march to the Capitol would injure the Vice President or his family?” ask a person familiar with the matter.
Pence’s actions have garnered praise in the government, including from Robert O’Brien, a national security adviser, who tweeted on Wednesday that Pence ‘is a really good and decent man. He showed courage today ‘.
Pending accusation
However, Democrats remain frustrated with Pence’s unwillingness to proceed with the 25th Amendment, including Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House. She and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer last week made an unsuccessful attempt to call the vice president to discuss the matter, but were wheeled in by a military assistant for 20 minutes before being told Pence is not available.
“I was at home, so I drove the dishwasher and put my clothes in the laundry. We’re still waiting for him to return the call,” Pelosi said on CBS News ”60 minutes’ on Sunday.
Other Democrats are skeptical that Pence can now restore his moral standing after four years of Trump – among other things through his attempts to question the election results with false allegations of voter fraud.
“All of us, including Speaker Pelosi, would prefer that Donald Trump do just the right thing and resign, or that Vice President Pence actually show a backbone, at least for himself and his own family, and call for the 25th Amendment,” Rep. . Ted Lieu said on Sunday on ‘CNN Newsroom’.
On Saturday, a source close to the vice president told CNN that Pence did not completely rule out the attempt to call the 25th amendment, and that he wants to retain the option if Trump becomes more unstable. But he has not yet spoken to cabinet members about the issue, and it seems unlikely he will continue with it.
On the contrary, Pence and his advisers seem to be looking at their last week in office with a view to his legacy, hoping to address the government’s achievements. Advisers have urged Trump to hold similar events, including on the Middle East and diplomacy, but it is unclear whether he will agree to do so, as he remains engulfed with his permanent suspension on Twitter.
Last week, the second lady, Karen Pence, looked at available homes in Virginia, according to a source familiar with her schedule.
Advisors said Pence hopes to offer a bridge to the next government and help Biden’s team as much as possible in preparing for the coronavirus pandemic. Pence and Biden consulted regularly in the early days of the Trump administration, including on foreign policy issues.
On Monday, Pence’s schedule listed a coronavirus task force meeting – one of the last times the group will meet before the end of the administration. Pence did not address the siege during the discussion at the Capitol, a person close to the task force said.
Trump, meanwhile, had nothing on his schedule.
CNN’s Jim Acosta and Kate Bennett contributed to this report.