I’ll confess to some exasperation when, during the 2016 campaign, Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Pence described himself as an “evangelical Catholic.” Three years earlier, I had published a book on the Catholic future entitled Evangelical Catholicism, and what Mr. Pence meant by being an “evangelical Catholic” — a cradle Catholic who had really come to know the Lord Jesus through evangelical Protestantism — was not what I meant by the term. Nor did I vote for Mr. Pence in either 2016 or 2020, having written in my choices for president and vice-president in both elections. And while two years is a virtual eternity in these highly unstable political times, I don’t expect to vote for Mr. Pence in the 2024 Republican primaries, should he choose to run.
This Thanksgiving, however, I’m happy to give thanks for Mike Pence, whose new book, So Help Me God (Simon & Schuster), explains how this man of Christian faith and conscience stood between the United States and an unprecedented constitutional crisis on January 6, 2021.
Between Election Day 2020 and early January 2021, President Donald Trump and his supporters filed more than 40 legal challenges to the rectitude of the vote count in several states Trump had lost. Vice President Pence supported that effort, believing that the public deserved an honest account of what had transpired in the election. None of the legal challenges succeeded.
Undeterred, constitutionally ignorant members of Congress began to claim that, as vice president and the Senate’s presiding officer when the Electoral College votes were counted, Mr. Pence could nullify certain states’ reports of their electoral votes by unilaterally rejecting those reports. The former Indiana governor now drew a bright line, telling President Trump that the Constitution did not give him that authority — which it manifestly did not.
The president’s response: “You’re too honest. Hundreds of thousands are gonna hate your guts…People are gonna think you’re stupid.”
On January 5, Vice President Pence was called to the White House and asked by the president’s lawyers to simply reject certain states’ electors, and thus their electoral votes. Pence later learned that one of the president’s attorneys, John Eastman, had told Pence’s own general counsel that unilaterally rejecting electors was wrong and that doing so would be immediately overturned by a unanimous Supreme Court — which is to say that one of the president’s principal legal advisers didn’t believe what he was telling Trump. That same day, in another lie, Trump denounced as “fake news” a newspaper story accurately reporting that Pence did not believe he had the constitutional authority to block certification of the 2020 election.
Mike Pence’s actions on the day of infamy that saw an unhinged, vicious mob storm and ransack the U.S. Capitol were correct, courageous, informed by conscience, and fortified by prayer. When his Secret Service detail urged the vice president to leave the Capitol after rioters had broken through the ranks of the ill-prepared and overwhelmed Capitol police, he refused, although it was clear that some of the rioters were out for him. When he agreed to go to a safer location, the garage beneath the building, Pence insisted on walking, not running, much to the aggravation of his detail. When the head of the detail asked Pence to take cover in a car that had been prepositioned near an exit ramp, the vice president refused, concerned that someone would order the car’s driver to hustle Pence away from what he regarded as his post — and his duty.
Meanwhile, as the Capitol was being pillaged and maniacs were chanting “Hang Mike Pence!”, the president was tweeting away, calling Pence a coward — although 14 minutes later, the volatile Mr. Trump switched gears, urging the mob to “Stay peaceful!” Rather too late, that.
The process of certifying the electoral vote count eventually continued and was concluded in the wee hours of January 7. There had been death and destruction, and a mob of crazies had made the world’s greatest democracy look like a banana republic. But the constitutional order had been preserved. And Mike Pence deserves the thanks of every genuine patriot for playing an indispensable role in doing so.
Meeting President Trump the day after his second impeachment, Vice President Pence told the president that they would have to continue to disagree about Pence’s actions on January 6, but that he would still pray for Trump. Whatever the efficacy of Mr. Pence’s prayers in the ensuing two years, his intention was that of a statesman and a Christian. At Thanksgiving 2022, I would like to thank him for being both.
(George Weigel’s column is syndicated by the Denver Catholic, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Denver.)
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The January 6th event was orchestrated by Democrats with the assistance of an imbedded FBI. And yes, our electoral process like so much else in our culture and government has been sullied with corruption – the fruit of sin. So, dear, George,you know what you can do with your apologetic for Pense.
“Embedded”
Donald Trump has done what I never thought possible – he has replaced the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy as the democrats’ – and their many allies in the press’ – gift that keeps on giving. He has accomplished this by the simple act of refusing to shut up and go away.
I firmly believe that the primary reason that Joe Biden won the 2020 election was the simple fact that he wasn’t Donald Trump. Mr. Trump is the most polarizing figure I can remember in my almost 4 score years, the media loves him for it, and in their evangelistic fervor they will keep him in that position for as long as they can. HE is the only person who can prevent this – by the simple act of going away.
Mr. Trump – we have many excellent candidates for the office you seek. Your work here is done, we thank you for it, and now the best thing you can do for the country you profess to love is this – drop out of the race.
Please
In truth, Jesus Christ is the most polarizing figure in history. Now what? The fact is that truth will always polarize in a fallen world. Take a look at today’s Gospel.
DEP, are you even remotely associating the likes of Trump with our Lord? Good gosh man, I understand why many felt he was their anti-political savior, but outside of the SC (which is huge!), he has set back the Conservative party by decades.
Terence, We the People still love him (warts and all). He not only won in 2020, but won in a landslide. He increased his support in Arizona by more than 400,000 votes from 2016 to 2020 — this level of increase is unheard of, and they not only had to steal the election to keep him out, but steal it using every means of fraud possible to the tune of 15M-plus fraudulent ballots and machine insertions for Joe. DJT is “polarizing” is the ONLY leader that unites those of us who believe in faith, family and freedom, and so they focus all of their hatred on him, day and night. No he’s not a perfect man, but he is the one that has been raised up to fight the corrupt kings of the earth and the rulers, “who set themselves, and take counsel together, against the Lord” (Ps. 2 paraphrase)
To Paolo: Absolutely brilliant! Thank you!!
With dog piling on Trump and those he supported for losing many recent elections, there is one thing that hasn’t changed: the country is divided. We still have an abortion touting president, who claims to be a Roman Catholic, and increasing secular influence peddled with ample dollars minted by federal actions.
For those that don’t know yet, FTX, the recent billion dollar bankruptcy, provided millions in cash PAC donations to mostly Democratic candidates, in this election.
With respect to Mr. Weigel, I would indeed vote for VP Pence if he should decide to run for President in 2024. I don’t know of any other candidate that would have a chance against the Democratic political machine, which has the support (and money) of the news media, the entertainment industry, the education industry (public schools and universities, as well as many private universities), and sadly, many of the liberal Protestant church denominations. His calmness in the face of the terror of the Capitol attack, his steadfastness against Pres. Trump’s demands to nullify the election, and his thoughtfulness in answering questions from people like Chuck Todd (who is clearly determined to sully Pence), as well as his solid faith, seem to me traits much needed in the White House right now. Plus, he has years of experience as both a Governor and a U.S. Representative have given him both Executive and Representative experience (and he didn’t make a “career” out of either position, as President Biden did!). I hope he runs and I hope he is selected by Republicans in the primary elections. I honestly think he’s our best hope for restoring the dignity of the office and for advocating for life and libery in the United STates.
Mr. Weigel, I disagree with your opinion of Mr. Pence as a “profile of courage”.
Thank you Mike Pence…but please reconsider your unqualified support for IVF.
It may be wrong to say this, but Weigel is not bold. He always waits until it is safe to praise or criticize someone. For example, it was only earlier this year that he distanced himself from Archbishop Vigano after he declared his support for Vladimir Putin in the war against Ukraine, when the Archbishop had several previous declarations in his name where he displayed an increasingly conspiratorial worldview at odds with the Church. Why couldn’t Weigel praise Mike Pence last year, when the events of January 6 were still fresh?
Well, Mr. Pence’s new book has given Never Trumper George Weigel an occasion for another diatribe against Trump. I hope he is happy with his wasted vote in 2020.
I like Mike Pence, and in contrast to Mr. Wiegel, because I am a Catholic man and a conservative man, I would certainly consider voting for Mike Pence.
I agree that former POTUS Mr. Trump was way out of bounds tweeting that Mr. Pence was a coward.
Mr. Wiegel shows his establishment knickers in suggesting that the demonstration on January 6th was leading to a constitutional crisis.
The actual constitutional crisis is the belief that US citizens (especially in Mr. W’s view Catholic citizens) owe a debt of trust to the political establishment powers, a belief apparently held by Mr. Weigel, which rests on the assumption that what the establishment does is inherently constitutional and inherently trustworthy.
The US election processes in several swing states is totally out of control and cannot pass a third party audit process. And that (inter alia) is an XL part of the US constitutional crisis.
This is yet another example of the pathology of “trusting the establishment.” Such pathology results in having US Supreme Court Justices, like the late Justice Ginsberg, who swore an oath to preserve the Constitution, while outright denying the legitimacy of the US Constitution, saying publicly that she would never recommend it as a model.
Thus the “clericalism” of the US political establishment: these individuals and the political powers and citizens who support them have practical contempt gor the US Constitution itself, and in practical effect end up asserting that they as members of the (contemptuous) establishment “constitute” the “US Constitution.”
The US Constitution has animating first principles, and among these are that political factions (i.e. the political establishments) are not to be trusted and therefore must be subject to an effective separation of powers and reliable checks and balances.
Ignoring that fundamental first principle is also an XL part of the US constitutional crisis, and Mr. Weigel contributes to the constitutional crisis, because his appeal is that the out of control election processes deserve to be trusted, because they are run by establishment powers, who are to be trusted by citizens, no matter what.
That attitude is counter to the animating principles of the men who wrote our Constitution.
Mike Pence is indeed George Weigel’s kind of guy – vanilla. The problem with Pence is not January 6 but his completely ordinary, non-confrontational ambling through a combat zone. Pence, McConnell and others are playing checkers when the game is chess. And it should be noted Pence abandoned his Catholic faith in favor of a Protestant shroud he can cover himself with in every speech. Men of this cut are deadly. They put to sleep the responsibility to resist what cannot be morally accepted. They compromise the believer into obscurity.
Mike Pence is that rarity – a good and a decent man. How many in the democratic party – beyond any argument the party of death – would merit that description?
Agreed – a good and decent man but certainly no leader. Not one that I’d follow into battle. We need leaders who will stand to the death in the name of truth. Pence is in no way up to the job. And I voted for the guy twice but don’t expect me to to do it again.
If he IS nominated for president and you refuse to vote for him again – for whom would you vote? Joe Biden? Kamala Harris? Gavin Newsom?
I wish I were kidding when I mention these name, but unfortunately I’m not.
I intend to vote for “none of the above.”
Aw, the effort to resurrect the corrupt RINO establishment is in full swing, is it not?! Wake up America, Wake up Catholics, there is an economic war to bring us safely under the wings of China and the western political and business leaders who have made their deal with the devil, and the McConnells, Romneys and their ilk are happy to lead this nation down the road to perdition and into a new “Great Reset” where we own nothing but are happy as clams. And the one thing that unites the Dems, the GOP, the media, big business, and their pals in Europe and China is their hatred for Donald Trump. Why’s that? Hint: it’s not his abrasive personality.
Weigel’s article leaves out many important facts and factors that make the January 6, 2021 breach of the capitol and what the VP could do according to some anything but the slam dunk potential “constitutional crisis” that those who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome and fellow travelers still irrationally insist is the case. I urge all to consider the following bullet points/questions/food for thought, and then do more research on their own to come to a more balanced view than what Weigel presents:
.Trump offered up to 10,000 National Guard troops to both Pelosi and the mayor of DC to protect the capitol building on January 6 and prevent any kind of problems that might arise if some people from various groups (both pro and con Trump) got unruly and/or violent. What kind of a person who seeks to have an “insurrection” offers precisely the one sure thing that would quell such an effort as soon as it got started? Why did Pelosi and the mayor refuse even a few hundred? And why did some capitol police make it easier for people to breach the capitol by moving temporary gates (on video for all to see) out of the way of many? And why were there FBI agents embedded in the crowds, yet they did nothing to stop the breach?
. At the rally wherein Trump allegedly stirred up that particular crowd to attack the capitol building, his son Donald Jr., a short time before President Trump spoke, made it a point to remind and praise the crowd for one of the things that ‘make Trump rallies different is the good will and lack of violence as opposed to the actions of those who support and are supported by democrats’. Then, President Trump later on made his famous declaration as clear as a bell wherein he stated that many rally attendees would move to the capitol to “peacefully and patriotically” voice their views. In no way, shape, or form did he even come close to advocating a violent overthrow or attack on the capitol.
.Who actually benefitted from the breach of the capitol? Trump, or Biden and the democrats? Prior to the breach, many members of the GOP in the House and the Senate were going to propose a delay of 10 days max to examine the Fact that a handful of state legislatures submitted 2 different sets of electors because they also believed there was some fraud in how the election was conducted in their states. The idea was to allow some members of congress from both parties to examine the claims of the states to determine if they were legitimate or not and proceed accordingly. After the breach, support for this reasonable proposal was significantly reduced and it faded away. Who benefitted – Trump or Biden?
. The number of “court cases” that Weigel, like many democrats, disingenuously touts fails to point out that many courts simply did not hear or they simply dismissed the cases based on dubious technicalities, and some courts that did hear the cases decided against the Trump claims by the smallest of margins, like 3-2, which are indeed victories for one side, but they also show that some judges were convinced that fraud occurred, thereby demonstrating that the clams were not pie-in-the-sky nonsense. Also left out of Weigel’s incomplete focus is the fact that 2 US Supreme Court Justices — Thomas and Alito — urged the rest of the Court to join them and examine the nonsense that took place in Pennsylvania that appeared to violate the Constitution. Other members of the Court did not join Thomas and Alito, and so the shenanigans that took place in Pennsylvania were allowed to prevail.
.If Pence did not have the authority to even allow for an examination of those handful of states that presented 2 sets of electors, then why did some democrats in July, 2022 bring forth a bill that would limit the power of the VP regarding, in part, his authority to question and perhaps reject some slates of state electors? What need would there be for such a bill if, as Pence and others state, he did not have the authority to do what the bill addresses as if he did have such authority? As is frequently the case when it comes to the actions of democrats and elections, many things just don’t add up.
Pence is no hero, and there was no potential constitutional crisis (democrat talking points, by the way, glibly accepted and pushed by Weigel) from the breach of the capitol by some unarmed yahoos on January 6, 2021. Additionally, Weigel’s characterization lacks honest information that is needed to provide a more complete picture of January 6. Also, the fact that Weigel basically threw away his votes by writing in somebody else with no chance to win demonstrates a lack of sound judgment and perhaps Trump Derangement Syndrome, especially given the pro-life track record of Trump and the overall good work as president he did during his first term. What possible rationale did Weigel have for not voting for Trump in 2020?
If there was a constitutional crisis involving the 2020 election, then things like D’Souza’s documentary “2000 mules,” ballot dumps, ballot harvesting, closing down election counts almost simultaneously among 5 states, boarding up windows to prevent poll watchers from doing their jobs, laws put into place without proper legislative action, and so on and so on demonstrate that is was more likely the way the election was conducted that may have very well manufactured a result the people did not want nor did they actually vote for having. I can’t say for sure, of course, but neither can those who claim all was done legitimately, and that the numerous anomalies of the 2020 election that provided a “perfect storm” that catapulted Biden into the White House were just flukes.
Two things that all honest people can say for sure are the following:
1. The breach of the capitol did not present a constitutional crisis; and…
2. Possible actions that might have been taken by Pence to delay certification of some 4 or 5 states’ electors until a congressional review was conducted in 10 days as proposed would not have brought about a constitutional crisis.
This is far too much common sense for the average American voters to digest.
Well done.
A good assessment. Thank you.
What authority does the Constitution give a vice-president to delay certification? None. A vice-president, acting unilaterally, in a way no one had ever suggested was in the power of the office, would have been the very definition of a “Constitutional crisis.”
AA:
You must have missed the following section from my original post, or you purposely overlooked it to present a straw man argument without addressing a big elephant in the room. Let’s try again:
If Pence did not have the authority to even allow for an examination of those handful of states that presented 2 sets of electors, then why did some democrats in July, 2022 bring forth a bill that would limit the power of the VP regarding, in part, his authority to question and perhaps reject some slates of state electors? What need would there be for such a bill if, as Pence and others state, he did not have the authority to do what the bill addresses as if he did have such authority?
Moreover, the idea on the table prior to the breach that was to be presented by both senators and house members for a 10 day examination illustrates that such a short delay would not bring about a constitutional crisis.
Lastly, just because something was not done before doesn’t mean it cannot be done later if there is good cause for doing so and it is not strictly forbidden. Since some state legislatures submitted 2 different sets of electors, this would be precisely the kind of thing that would trigger a different action not explicitly forbidden in the Constitution.
I look forward to your defense of the democrat action in July 2022 since you claim that Pence did not have any authority other than to be a scorekeeper. Good luck.
Who actually benefited from the breach? The democrats and their many allies in the msm. Donald Trump has replaced Sen. Joseph McCarthy as ‘the gift that keeps on giving’, the primary reason for that being that he doesn’t seem to be capable of keeping his mouth shut when it is obviously the right thing to do.
During his term he did a lot of good things, but now we have a surfeit of good candidates for 2024 and now it is time for him to drop out of the race – asap – and leave the limelight. I know that there is virtually NO chance that that could ever happen (one reason being that the msm wouldn’t permit it) but that is what I wish he would do.
Pence failed to do his duty on January 6,2021. It’s that simple and clear. His duty was to do everything arguably within his reach to secure the re-election of President Donald J. Trump (and of himself as Vice President). That was his political and moral duty, and he failed to live up to it. Since then, we are all living with the woeful consequences of his dereliction.
“His duty was to do everything arguably within his reach to secure the re-election of Donald J. Trump (and himself as vice-president.)” That’s not what his oath of office said. And do you believe that should have included Pence doing something that no one in the history of the country had ever remotely suggested the vice-president has the power to do?
Is this a spoof column by the Babylon Bee???….Seriously!
As usual, Wiggle-Weigel gets it completely wrong. Why would any orthodox Catholic support an apostate and heretical former Catholic for President, whether his name is Joe Biden or Mike Pence?
O
M
G
this is too blatant a puff piece.
sheeeesh
if there’s anything this country needed on Jan 6, it was a Constitutional Crisis.
Guess we know who the author is voting for.