Former Vice President Mike Pence sharply criticized former President Trump on Saturday for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, widening the rift between the two men as they prepare to battle for the Republican nomination in the election of next year.

President Trump was wrong,” Pence said during remarks at the annual white-tie Gridiron Dinner attended by politicians and journalists. “I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone in the Capitol that day, and I know history will hold Donald Trump accountable.

Pence’s remarks were the harshest condemnation yet of the once-loyal lieutenant who often shied away from confrontation with his former boss. Trump has already run for office. Pence doesn’t, but he laid the groundwork for a run.

In the days leading up to January 6, 2021, Trump pressured Pence to quit

Chairman Joe

Biden’s election victory while presiding over the ceremonial certification of the results. Pence refused, and when rioters stormed the Capitol, some chanted that they wanted to hang Mike Pence.

The House committee investigating the attack said in its final report that the president of the United States incited a mob hunting his own vice president.

With his remarks, Pence cemented his place in a broader debate within the Republican Party about how the attack should be viewed. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy

(R-Bakersfield),

For example, Tucker Carlson recently acquired an archive of security camera footage from

the riot 6 Jan

which the Fox News host has used to downplay the day’s events and promote conspiracy theories.

Pence is opposing the subpoena of special counsel for the 2020 election inquiry

Make no mistake, what happened that day was a disgrace,” Pence said in his Gridiron Dinner remarks. And it mocks decency to portray it in any other way.

Trump, meanwhile, has continued to spread lies about his election loss. He has even spoken out in favor of the rioters, saying he would consider pardoning them if re-elected.

Speeches at the Gridiron Dinner are usually humorous affairs, mocked by politicians

each other each other,

and pennies did that a lot too.

He joked that Trump’s ego was so fragile that he wanted his Vice President to sing Wind Beneath My Wings. One of the rules is, did you ever know you’re my hero? during their weekly lunch.

He shot Trump again over classified documents.

CPAC shows that the GOP is deeply divided heading into 2024

I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were in the president’s Bible,” Pence said. Which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there.

Even before dinner was over, Pence was criticized for his jokes about the Secretary of Transportation

piet

Buttigieg, the first openly gay cabinet member in American history.

Pence said that despite travel difficulties faced by Americans, Buttigieg “took maternity leave after he and his husband adopted newborn twins.

Pete is the only person in human history to have had a child and everyone else gets mail

–

parturition depression, Pence said.