‘Is Mike Okay?’ New Reporting Details Trump’s Nonchalant Response to January 6
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A new report details the nonchalant reaction former President Donald Trump had to the danger that Vice President Mike Pence was in during the storming of the U.S. Capitol.
Washington Post published a new preview from I Alone Can Fix This, the book written by the outlet’s reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig. The latest excerpt provides a highly detailed review of the events of January 6th, and it delves into the actions Pence took while he was at the Capitol to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
As Trump’s supporters wandered through Congress after violently forcing their way inside, Pence’s Secret Service detail removed him and his family from the Senate floor and led him to his ceremonial office in the Capitol. This occurred moments before Trump blasted Pence on Twitter for refusing the president’s impossible order to throw out the election results from the battleground states that swung for Biden.
The report describes a dispute Pence had with the chief of his security detail because the vice president refused to leave the Capitol, even after moving from his the office to a secure area beneath the building. Meanwhile, Trump was reportedly enthralled as he watched his supporters continuing to riot on TV.
Eventually, Trump had an exchange with Keith Kellogg, Pence’s national security advisor, and the president seemed to offer only a slight degree of interest in knowing whether his vice president was alright.
From the Post:
Back at the White House, Kellogg was worried about Pence’s safety and went to find Trump.
“Is Mike okay?” the president asked him.
“The Secret Service has him under control,” Kellogg told Trump. “Karen is there with the daughter.”
“Oh?” Trump asked.
“They’re going to stay there until this thing gets sorted out,” Kellogg said.
Trump said nothing more. He didn’t express any hope that Pence was okay. He didn’t try to call the vice president to check on him. He just stayed in the dining room watching television.
The report continues with further details on how Pence was adamant in making sure the Capitol was secure, and he had a phone call with General Mark Milley where he demanded that the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman send in troops.
