Former United States President Mike Pence's ex-chief of staff, Marc Short, said on Sunday that the Republican rebuked former United States President Donald Trump during his remarks last week to avoid being seen as "fleeing" the Capitol during the insurrection.
The official added that the former vice president made the statements because the Republican businessman's claims that his former second-in-command had the power to overturn the 2020 elections merited a response. During an event on Friday, Pence said that "Trump is wrong" when he claimed the former vice president could have prevented Joe Biden's certification.
Fleeing the Capitol
During an interview, Short said that he was in disagreement with other Republicans who have labeled the Jan. 6, 2021, siege as "legitimate political discourse." He criticized the Republican National Committee (RNC) for its labeling of the chaotic incident.
On Sunday, Short said that as he saw Capitol Hill being stormed by loyal Trump supporters, he never saw legitimate political discourse. However, he noted that during conversations with some members of the RNC, he found that many believed that there were many innocent people who got caught up in the violence, CNN reported.
Short added that Pence refused to leave his office after he was evacuated from the Senate floor during the Capitol Hill siege. At the time, he was in the middle of counting Electoral College votes. The Secret Service conducted multiple attempts to have him exit the premises amid the rising threat of violence.
The official said that Secret Service personnel tried to move Pence twice, but the former vice president stood his ground and said he was not going anywhere. Pence said he did not want to let the free world see him "fleeing the Capitol."
Business Insider reported that eventually, Pence agreed to move from the suite when Secret Service officials once again persuaded him. They told him that they would not be able to protect him or keep him safe in his current location because the door was made of glass.
Voter Fraud
On the other hand, Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz said he was disappointed with Pence and his failure to overturn the 2020 elections. During a podcast on Saturday, Gaetz detailed his final meeting in the White House with the former vice president.
The official argued that lawmakers supportive of overturning the election gathered substantive arguments that they believed would have been enough to persuade state legislatures to take more aggressive action amid the election. Gaetz said he expected Pence to be unable to show a great deal of boldness before the Congress.
Despite claims from various lawmakers, including Gaetz, former president Trump, and other Republicans, there is no evidence showing widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election. It was found that Democrat Biden had won both the Electoral College and the popular vote, ousting Trump from his presidency.
Gaetz said that he and other lawmakers put forward arguments, affidavits, and evidence to Pence. He added that they showed the former vice president videos but said that Pence did not budge, prompting disappointment from Gaetz and his colleagues, as per Yahoo News.
Related Article: 'Trump Is Wrong,' Argues Former VP Mike Pence Over Authority To Overturn 2020 Election
