Attendees of a Turning Point USA conference booed former Vice President Mike Pence after former President Donald Trump brought up his decision to not overturn the presidential election results.
During a speech on Saturday night at the conference, Trump said, “I only wish that my friend, Mike Pence, had that additional courage…”
He paused as the crowd booed Pence without attempting to defend his former vice president.
He continued, “To send the results back to the legislatures because it all happened so quickly. You know, they schemed on this plan for four years. This all happened so quickly. If he would have sent it back to the legislatures. Somebody gave him bad advice.”
Watch the video below:
Trump: And I only wish that my friend Mike Pence had that additional courage….
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 24, 2021
Crowd: *boos* pic.twitter.com/7kgR44KKUt
Since his election loss, Trump has repeated the unfounded claim that widespread fraud cost him his reelection bid.
Before Congress met to certify the Electoral College vote count, he pressured Pence to use his role as the presiding officer in the Senate to reject the electoral votes.
However, Pence said he did not have the authority to reject the election results, as IJR reported.
In a letter to Congress, Pence said he did not have the authority to unilaterally reject the vote count, “It is my considered judgment that my oath to support and defend the Constitution constrains me from claiming unilateral authority to determine which electoral votes should be counted and which should not.”
“Some believe that as Vice President, I should be able to accept or reject electoral votes unilaterally. Others believe that electoral votes should never be challenged in a Joint Session of Congress. After a careful study of our Constitution, our laws, and our history, I believe neither view is correct,” he added.