Why Mike Pence's Declined Invitation To This Conference Is Turning Heads
When Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election, he contested the results, citing voter fraud as the reason Joe Biden won. Initially, Vice President Mike Pence had Trump's back in his quest to overturn the election results. In December 2020, Pence told a crowd at a speaking event that he planned to "keep fighting until every legal vote is counted" and "every illegal vote is thrown out," according to CNN. Additionally, Pence declared, "Stay in the fight for election integrity. Stay in the fight to defend all we've done."
"The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors," Trump posted from his now-banned Twitter account on Jan. 5, 2021, per Politico. He added, "I hope Mike Pence comes through for us. Of course, if he doesn't come through, I won't like him so much." The next day, Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of Biden's presidency. On Jan. 7, 2021, Pence confirmed Biden's victory, per CBS. Later that month, he skipped Trump's departure ceremony, electing to attend Biden's inauguration instead.
Trump and Pence were both expected to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando on Feb. 28, 2021. However, Politico's Gabby Orr tweeted that Pence wasn't on the speaker roster because he "declined an invitation." Is he just taking a break following the end of his term as VP? Or is he trying to distance himself from Trump post-riot? Many people want to know why he rejected the invite.
Is there any lingering tension between Mike Pence and Donald Trump?
CNN reported on Mike Pence's decision not to speak at the upcoming Conservative Political Action Conference in late February 2021. An inside source told the outlet that "organizers still hope to change Pence's mind about attending." However someone familiar with Pence told CNN that the former Vice President of the United States was "planning to stay under the radar for the next six months."
Pence's former chief of staff Marc Short told CNN, "We accept Joe Biden is the duly elected president of the United States." He also claimed that Trump and Pence have been in contact since their term ended and that they had "departed amicably."
Perhaps, Trump will address Pence's absence from the event when he hits the stage for his own speech. After all, he's not one to hold back his opinions. He did tweet against his own vice president for not overturning the election results.