Mike Pence repeats claims of election fraud in op-ed against voting rights bill
Former Vice President Mike Pence broke his silence Wednesday by spouting the same fraud claims about the 2020 election — even though those claims almost got him killed at the Capitol.
Pence repeated theories about widespread irregularities and voter fraud that were the cornerstone of former President Donald Trump’s campaign to overturn the election results.
“I share the concerns of millions of Americans about the integrity of the 2020 election,” Pence wrote in an op-ed for the conservative news outlet, The Daily Signal.
Pence framed his arguments as a broadside against the Democrats’ effort to pass the so-called For the People Act, also known as HR 1, which would mandate some of the most sweeping voting rights measures in a generation.
The bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, would among other things prevent states from barring absentee voting for all and also mandate non-partisan commissions draw legislative lines to effectively end gerrymandering.
Pence denounced the bill as an “unconstitutional power grab” by Democrats.”
He called the Capitol storming “tragic” and claimed the violent rioters distracted attention from what he believes was their legitimate goal of disputing President Joe Biden’s win.
“[It] deprived the American people of a substantive discussion in Congress about election integrity in America,” Pence wrote.
That claim dovetails with some Republicans who argue the Capitol rioters were just a few hotheads who took things too far.
The opinion piece is one of Pence’s first statements since leaving office amid a bitter feud with his longtime ally Trump. Pence never criticized Trump for putting his life in danger but he did break with him by attending Biden’s inauguration.
Pence, who was once considered a frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, is now on the outs with Trump’s base and faces a tricky road back to political prominence.
