The immediate past president and vice president of the United States expressed conflicting views on the ‘Invasion of the Federal Capitol’ (hereinafter referred to as the January 6 incident), which marked its 3rd anniversary on the 6th.
The January 6 incident occurred when extreme supporters of former President Donald Trump, who were dissatisfied with the results of the 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden, stormed into the Capitol building to block the Senate and House proceedings formalizing Biden’s victory, destroying property, and calling the police. It refers to an act of violence.
Former President Trump, who is overwhelmingly leading the race for the Republican presidential nomination, described the prisoners involved in the January 6 Incident as “hostages” at a rally in Iowa on the 6th. Former President Trump said, “They (Biden administration) must release the ‘January 6 hostages,’” and added, “They have suffered enough.” Former President Trump was interpreted as expressing his perception that those involved in the January 6 Incident, who were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, were being politically persecuted.
On the other hand, former Vice President Mike Pence, who was the second-in-command in the Trump administration (January 2017 to January 2021) and presided over the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives at the Capitol on the day of the January 6 Incident, said in a CNN interview broadcast on the 7th, “People were literally smashing the windows. “I saw them breaking up and looting the Capitol,” he said.
He added, “It made me angry. I remember thinking, ‘This is not right. This should not happen here, in the U.S. Capitol.'” He pointed out that officials “must meet the maximum sentence prescribed by law.” Former Vice President Pence also said he was “very grateful” for the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in arresting those involved in the January 6 incident, whom former President Trump described as “hostages” and demanded their “release.”
He added, “The attack (the invasion of the Capitol) should not have happened,” adding, “As I have said many times before, what the former President (Trump) said that day was reckless, and I believe history will judge his role.”
Former Vice President Pence, who presided over the Senate and House meetings to certify President Biden’s election, evacuated with lawmakers during the incident and belatedly proceeded with the certification process.
At that time, when he rejected Trump’s demand not to proceed with the certification process, Pence crossed a bridge of no return with Trump and his supporters. Former Vice President Pence ran for president but gave up the Republican primary race in October last year as he was unable to overcome his approval rating, which did not exceed the single digits.