Trump questions Pence’s Jan. 6 actions, electoral count reform bill ahead of dueling Arizona rallies

Former President Trump reiterated his view that former Vice President Mike Pence could have refused to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election as the pair are set to hold events backing opposing candidates in a contested GOP Arizona gubernatorial primary. 

Trump said in a statement from his Save America PAC that Pence told him he did not have the power to reject votes from the Electoral College. The former president questioned why, if that were the case, “Democrats and RINOs,” meaning Republicans in name only, are working to pass a bill to make clear that the vice president only has a ceremonial role in counting the results of a presidential election. 

A bipartisan group of senators unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would make clear that the vice president does not have the power to overturn election results, reforming the Electoral Count Act of 1887. 

The act was originally passed in the aftermath of the contested presidential election of 1876, during which several states submitted multiple slates of electors, signaling different winners in each state. A commission eventually selected a winner after Congress was deadlocked. 

Legislators have expressed concerns that the language of the Electoral Count Act is too vague, which allowed Trump to attempt to exploit the law to try to stop Biden from taking office.

“This was a major event, because everybody ganged up and said that Mike had no choice, he could not send the slates back to the States (which is all I suggested he do) for possible retabulation and correction based on largescale Voter Fraud and Irregularities,” Trump said. 

Trump said Pence sending certain electoral slates back to states could have been an “Election-changing event,” and the country “would have been a different place!” 

Trump has repeatedly criticized Pence for refusing to attempt to overturn the results of the election. 

His most recent attack comes ahead of dueling rallies from Trump and Pence scheduled for this weekend. Pence will be campaigning for Karrin Taylor Robson, whom he endorsed in the Arizona gubernatorial race, while Trump campaigns for his endorsed candidate, Kari Lake.