Donald Trump berated Mike Pence, calling his then-vice president a “wimp” during their final phone call on Jan. 6, 2021, hours before Congress certified the 2020 election of Joe Biden, according to Pence’s previously unpublished notes included in a new book by ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
According to court filings, had his case against Trump gone to trial, special counsel Jack Smith planned to use the handwritten notes – hastily scribbled on Pence’s day planner – as evidence to document the hours before Trump allegedly directed a violent mob to storm the Capitol.
“You’ll go down as a wimp,” Trump told Pence about his decision not to block Biden’s certification, according to Pence’s notes about the call on the morning of Jan. 6, just before the president took the stage at the “Save America” rally on the Ellipse. “If you do that, I made a big mistake 5 years ago,” Pence wrote Trump told him.
This story once again reminds me of how chillingly close we came to dictatorship during that 2020 election. Sadly, trump’s failure to cling to power then only bought us 4 years.
There were so many WIMPS, so many chances to stop him wasted by cowardice. Two impeachments where repubs protected him (they hated his power over them and had two chances to exercise their own power and get rid of him once and for all–since he wouldn’t have been able to run again if they’d convicted him.
Then after the almost miraculous ousting of him, Biden and the Dems refused take action to stop him: He should have had him arrested for Jan 6 and/or other crimes - but no, Biden appointed Merrick Garland who – speaking of the word wimp --makes Pence look like Captain America.
Dems could also have passed any of a number of laws that would have made it difficult or impossible for him to run again (they did pass a couple of useful but wimpy laws). Biden and Congress could have expanded the Supreme Court. So many opportunities to shore up our democracy, just thrown away for lack of courage to meet the moment.