Former Republican Senator Rick Santorum is commending Vice President Mike Pence for the way he handled the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Santorum reflected on his earlier concerns about President Donald Trump and how Pence proved to be a positive force.
“So when he was about to secure the 2016 nomination, conservatives like me needed reassurance that he would follow through on the campaign promises he was making. Much of that reassurance came in the form of Mike Pence,” Santorum wrote in an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
He called Pence a “trusted conservative” and a “good man.”
Santorum cited Pence’s involvement in Trump’s accomplishments including becoming the first president to address the March for Life, nominating Justice Amy Coney Barrett, and implementing climate change reform.
“As a solid conservative, Mr. Pence believes in our Constitution. To him, constitutional conservatism is more than a campaign slogan. It is the foundation of our republic. If we abandon it when it means our side loses, we have lost more than an election—we have lost our country,” Santorum continued.
He went on to explain Pence’s decision to stand up to Trump and move ahead with Biden’s electoral certification was his “greatest service to conservatives, this administration and the nation.”
Santorum argued, “With the president 16 blocks away, threatening the vice president with retribution, Mr. Pence issued a statement that didn’t waver or attempt to appease his boss and the crowd demanding an unconstitutional solution.”
He added, “By clearly and firmly standing for and by our constitutional republic, he became the indispensable leader America needed.”
Trump launched an attack on Pence after he refused to give in to the president’s demands to overturn the results, as IJR previously reported.
Pence will reportedly attend Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.