Mike Pence Slams Donald Trump Over the 2020 Election – Opinion

Mike Pence slammed Donald Trump on Friday for the latter’s recent assertions regarding the 2020 election, and against my better judgment, I’m here to give you the low down.

Pence spoke at the Federalist Society about the possibility that he might have reversed the results of the 2020 elections. His response was firm, as he proclaimed Trump “wrong,” saying that the “presidency belongs to the American people.”

Here’s what that sounded like.

NEW: Pence says “President Trump is wrong.”

“I heard this week from President Trump, that he claimed that he had the power to reverse the election. Trump is incorrect. The election was not my right. The American people own the presidency, and they alone are entitled to it.” pic.twitter.com/sarsYwpfSW

— Shane Goldmacher (@ShaneGoldmacher) February 4, 2022

Before we get to Pence’s comments, let’s get my point of view on the record.

Does the fairness of the 2020 elections concern me? No, I don’t. It is a known fact that Joe Biden was actively suppressed by social media platforms. Additionally, I believe that numerous changes to election laws in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were unconstitutional. Two court cases in the states have confirmed this.

Also, the problem of ballot harvesting was raised. This occurred because COVID-19 made haphazard and unnecessary changes to election laws. People could protest in the streets for George Floyd, but we couldn’t expect them to show up and vote? Past that, the presidential debates were so heavily tilted toward Joe Biden that not a single question on foreign policy, the strongest part of Trump’s presidential record, got asked. Many more could be given.

In short, I believe there’s more than enough evidence that the deck was stacked.

However, it is sometimes necessary to move to a new battlefield in order to win the war. Personally, I don’t believe that the vice president has any authority to change the result of the presidential elections. This idea is absurd to me. I don’t want any official from any party having that kind of power. Fraud suspicions should be brought to the attention of the states and litigated. Our voting systems are decentralized for a reason, and that’s a very good thing.

Beyond that, the argument that Pence should send the results back the the states is unconvincing. What was that going accomplish, even if he did have that power? Pennsylvania would not change its results. Georgia wasn’t going to alter its results. All that would have done is give credence to the “coup” narrative. It is easy to fall off a political rock and end up doing nothing.

We are now in 2022. There is a significant midterm coming up and only one chance to end the damage that the Biden presidency caused. Regardless of whether one likes Pence or not, everyone should ask themselves what’s the smart play here? Do you think it is better to fight over an election which is already in force and not changing or do it focus on strengthening election security in Republican-controlled states? There is no way out, even if you are angry about the situation, because there is no escape from intraparty conflict over the 2020 election.

Further, it’s exactly what the Democrats want. They desire January 6th to continue being a national obsession. To marginalize Republicans, they want them to fight for procedural issues that no longer matter. The only way to victory is to move past the losses you can’t get back, whether one believes they came fairly or not. A GOP that is focused on destroying Democrats in the next election terrifies the left, and I’ve got no mind to ease their fears heading into the midterms.