O’Brien calls Pence a ‘genuinely fine and decent man’ following Capitol chaos

White House National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien hailed Vice President Pence’s conduct as pro-Trump rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, calling the vice president “a genuinely fine and decent man.”

“I just spoke with Vice President Pence. He is a genuinely fine and decent man,” O’Brien tweeted. “He exhibited courage today as he did at the Capitol on 9/11 as a Congressman. I am proud to serve with him.”

I just spoke with Vice President Pence. He is a genuinely fine and decent man. He exhibited courage today as he did at the Capitol on 9/11 as a Congressman. I am proud to serve with him.

— Robert C. O’Brien (@robertcobrien) January 6, 2021

Secret Service on Wednesday rushed Pence from the Capitol, where he was presiding over a joint session of Congress to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. The mob breaching the Capitol forced an evacuation and lockdown and at least one woman was fatally shot during the chaos.

Trump supporters and the president himself have increasingly pressured Pence to attempt to overturn Biden’s victory in his role presiding over the certification, a power the vice president does not possess. Pence issued a statement Wednesday explaining that he lacked the authority, after which Trump tweeted that his vice president “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our County and our Constitution.”

Shortly after Pence was rushed from the Senate, he tweeted “The violence and destruction taking place at the US Capitol Must Stop and it Must Stop Now. Anyone involved must respect Law Enforcement officers and immediately leave the building.”